Lucas grumbled a bit under his breath as he turned the glass he held in his hand this way and that, watching the way the dim light of the bar reflected off of it.  Normally Lucas wasn't one to go to a bar, besides the fact that he couldn't really afford too much in the way of luxuries there was also the fact that he wasn't much of a drinker, and the bar scene wasn't really a good idea if one wanted to avoid drawing attention to their mutant abilities like Lucas did.  However, that night was special.  Josephine, the sixteen year old daughter of one of Lucas' coworkers had died only a few days ago after battling Leukemia for several years.  Juan had just been dragged out of the bar, bloody, drunk, and sobbing after he got into a fight with the bouncer.  It was a testament to Juan's grief that he beat the bouncer into unconsciousness in his rage.

Lucas had, unlike the rest of his coworkers, been nursing the same glass of single malt scotch for the past two hours.  Though it was more expensive, Lucas wasn't going to go and get drunk so he figured he might as well make his one drink a good one.  And despite the massive amounts of food he ate Lucas was rather a lightweight when it came to alcohol, so he knew it wouldn't take much to get him drunk.  The grief Juan had been experiencing, the condolences and the pity, it had brought memories back.  Lucas had been reminded of when his father had died, the pity he received, how his horrible step-mother had soaked it up like it was sunshine, basking in the attention.  All Lucas had wanted to do was crawl away and die.

Now, however, after what had happened to him in the camps, Lucas knew he would have a different reaction.  He would probably lash out just as Juan had, his grief making him blind to his normal moral compass, skewed by trauma though it was.  Juan was only human so the damage he could do in his grief was limited, but Lucas was different.  He was a mutant, and his mutation in particular would have made something like the fight which had just finished a lot more violent, and a lot more deadly for everyone involved.

Of course, for something like that to happen, Lucas would have to have people he really cared about first, which was not something he saw happening sometime soon.  Lucas had been careful to be courteous but distant to his coworkers since his return, and they had been the same.  He didn't want to have any more pain heaped on top of his almost nightly nightmares from the camps.  With that thought and a sigh, Lucas lifted the glass in his bandaged right arm and took another sip.

The city was quiet on this particular evening, at least, it was quiet in a relative way. There were no sirens resounding off the metal skyscrapers, and there were no mutants running a muck in the city. All things considered, it could have been peaceful, but Evelyn didn't enjoy such luxuries. Quiet to her meant listening to the clamor of echoes as she walked down the streets. The flickering of lights illuminated license plates and parking meters, little details that would unintentionally be tucked away for later. The echoes never rested, and as such, she rarely did as well. With Jensen gone, she was somewhat lost on what to do, or where to go. Danger could be around any corner, but it seemed the worst danger was there in her mind.

Evelyn was cursed to remember. Every detail, every crevice, every break in the sidewalk was cemented in her mind. Images of pain, memories of loss, and mistakes she could never undo. Some days, she enjoyed her powers and what she could accomplish with them. A book only needed to get read once, a picture captured for eternity with a glance; tonight though, she would give anything to forget.

She hadn't slept in days, struggling with the fear of what would happen when she closed her eyes. She was tired of reliving things, and just wanted quiet, but that wasn't likely to be found. Glowing neon flickered in her thoughts, her brain processing how long it might take to die, and she found herself in front of a bar, watching as the interior was revealed in an instant when patrons wandered out the door. Smells wafted to her nose: a faint scent of alcohol, linger cigaret smoke just outside the door, and food. The food was just enticing enough she found her feet drift from the sidewalk, showing her id card to a rather beat up looking bouncer, and moved through the door.

The dining room was filled to the brim, but there was an open spot at the bar where it looked like someone had left not long ago. A figure was seated there, staring into his glass as he contemplated something much deeper than the general taste of his drink. The echoes sensed something there: grief, anger perhaps? The emotions mingled on his face in a turmoil that wasn't surprising in such an establishment. For a moment, Evelyn considered leaving again, but her belly convinced her to stay. Maybe she wasn't looking for a drink, at least not at the moment... but curiosity had a way of stopping once the echoes noted something of interest.

And so, she found herself approaching the empty chair and hoisting herself up to the counter. She took a moment to ask for a menu before looking at her companion from the corner of her eye, and nodding towards his drink. "Those any good?" She asked. It was a curious enough statement, and she glanced down at the menu as the echoes started trying to understand his bandaged arm. There was no sign of blood in the wrappings, and no evidence of gauze bulging under the strands. Something about them seemed more decorative then necessary. She tucked the information away, containing her lack of tact for the time being.

Lucas stilled suddenly as he felt someone near him, just behind and to the right of him, just barely in his peripheral vision.  His mind raced as he wondered who it might be.  Perhaps it was the bouncer, asking him to leave?  Or just a drunk looking for trouble, maybe.  However, the girl sitting down next to him was definitely not what he was expecting.  The bar wasn't a party bar, more of a 'drink your sorrows away' bar, and she didn't look like she was in any sort of bar hopping clothes anyways.

"Those any good?"

Lucas snorted a little, and a smile forced it's way onto his face despite himself.  The girl obviously didn't know anything about scotch.  Well, to be honest Lucas didn't really either, but he knew enough to know it when he saw it.  "I'm drinking single malt Ardbeg scotch.  It is very good."  It was also very expensive, and now empty.  Lucas looked at the glass ruefully.  Well there goes my spending money for the week, and it sure went fast.  Because he was always experimenting with his mutations, trying to find new things he could make use of, Lucas consumed a lot of food.  And it had to be filling food too, none of that cheap junk food.  It wasn't cheap, and after his long absence from work due to the camps and subsequent rehabilitation he was getting paid less for more work, and of course his old apartment had long since been rented out, and rent prices were going up, the insurance company took issues with his claims of damage from the camps...

Long story short, Lucas wasn't exactly rolling in dough.  Add to that the lack of social life and constant wariness he held himself in and he was a tightly wound guy.

"I'd offer to buy you a drink because that's the polite thing," he said, "but I don't know if you really want to drink and it seems like that might be a mite annoying."  Lucas didn't, however, say anything about his lack of cash.

Evelyn wasn't really the sort to spend time in a bar. Jensen wouldn't have approved with her presence there, and the crowds she could find probably wouldn't have had the best influence on her. But one thing they seemed to offer that was surprising was information. All around, the echoes caught things; the slump of shoulders, the good natured laughter, an overly vocal stream of information. People weren't guarded here like they seemed to be other places. Perhaps it was the alcohol in their system, or their desire to let go of their problems. For someone with hyper-awareness, all she had to do was sit and listen to feed her curiosity. There were numerous stories and problems there to be analyzed, considered. But she felt herself keying in on her companion at the bartop.

He was skinny, broader shouldered but thin around the waist. His skin was pale, as were his eyes, and his head was shaved and bare. The most noticeable thing was a scar she should just make out around his neck. She scanned her memories for something to connect that marking too, and a shape flickered in her mind. [Scars: mutation inhibiting collar. Signs from the camps, 2007-2008.] Evelyn had heard of the camps, of course, though those were several years ago and her mutation hadn't been noticeable enough to draw attention to herself. She couldn't recall ever meeting a mutant who'd been there though. Typically the ones who were detained were the more dangerous variety, which could say a thing or two about the man next to her.

As he introduced his drink she smiled slightly, echoes whispering the general price such a drink would have cost, which would explain why he only had one drink in front of him. Several of the other patrons seemed to collect their drinks until the empty cups were swept away, but there didn't seem to be evidence he'd had more than one.

"I'll have to take your word for it. I'm typically not much of a drinker, but I had a lot on my mind and bars are at least open late, and the food looked good." She shrugged casually, the echoes watching for any surprise in his expression. She was used to odd looks, especially when it came to her rather unconventional behavior. She was a well dressed, with white hair and a confident demeanor that took people off guard. The things she tended to say just added to their confusion.

As she watched, he glanced at his glass, somewhat disappointed the drink seemed to be gone. That said a fair amount in itself. If he had the means, he would have likely got himself another mug already. He wasn't particularly well dressed, so she guessed it had been somewhat of a treat to spend as much as he did in the first place. Perhaps he came with friends and just needed time to think. That was likely enough. He wasn't really drinking away his sorrows yet, so maybe he was trying to just sort through things rather than drown them.

>>"I'd offer to buy you a drink because that's the polite thing."

Evelyn smiled slightly and chuckled, turning in her seat so she was facing him more. "As kind as the suggestion is, I take it it's more of a courtesy than anything else. I'll do you a favor though." She signalled the bartender, and ordered him another drink, and a hamburger and fries for herself with a soda. Then she shrugged again and gave a little smile. "I'll take the risk of offending you. You can drink it if you want." Considering his comments on the drink she didn't figure he'd let it go to waste.

"I'll have to take your word for it. I'm typically not much of a drinker, but I had a lot on my mind and bars are at least open late, and the food looked good."

Lucas shrugged at that.  If there was one thing he knew it was that if you were hungry you sure gotta eat.  "Yeah, the only other places open are fast food restaurants, and I certainly don't blame you for preferring something a little more filling."  Lucas had eaten a large meal just before joining his coworkers at the bar, so he wasn't hungry at the moment but it would only be a matter of time before he had to eat again if he used his powers at all.  Though the short and thin girl next to him didn't look a threat, more a fae little thing with her white hair, Lucas knew from horrible experience that sometimes things just happen.

"As kind as the suggestion is, I take it it's more of a courtesy than anything else. I'll do you a favor though.  I'll take the risk of offending you. You can drink it if you want."

Lucas watched, visibly surprised, as she signaled the bartender to give him a refill and ordered some food for herself.  Damn, he thought, this girl must be loaded!  To buy expensive scotch for a stranger like that... Oh shoot I haven't even introduced myself.  Well I wasn't really planning to but now I suppose I should.

After collecting himself and taking a small sip of his drink, Lucas turned to the girl.  "Thank you very much, I don't quite know what to say."  He chuckled, "I suppose I could start with my name though, right?  I am Lucas Victore, pleased to make your acquaintance."  Lucas held out his unbandaged left arm for a handshake, even though he was right-handed.

Evelyn didn't eat much fast food, but when she did she always seemed to regret it. While she tried not to be spoiled, she did have a preference for fresh food, and nothing frozen or reheated seemed to fit the 'fresh' category. The menu here seemed like it would work though, and she nodded slightly in agreement. After she ordered, she caught the slight expression of surprise from her companions face, and could almost see the wheels turning as he tried to piece together what he was thinking. Sometimes, she could guess thoughts just by actions. Today wasn't really one of those days.

Taking a sip of her soda, she smiled, and accepted his hand to shake. A lot could be told about a person by their handshake, and she learned a bit from Lucas from his. He moved and acted with his right-hand, which showed a form of dominance there, but the handshake came from the unbandaged arm. While it could have been an injury that kept him from using his right hand, she doubted it judging his movements. Likely, it was more of a courtesy, or a habit in relation to his mutation. She suspected his arm might be hiding more than just an injury. She kept the observation to herself for the moment though.

"I'm Evelyn Summers. Nice to meet you Lucas." Her own handshake was gentle, and her skin was fairly soft which, if handshakes said anything, could say something about her class. She worked at the museum, but it wasn't particularly labor intensive, and painting didn't exactly leave callouses like other hobbies. "So you live close by or...?" She asked politely. There wasn't much else to do until her food got there anyway, and she spun her soda in a circle as she spoke. The echoes moved around the room, but there wasn't much that caught their attention right now.

"I'm Evelyn Summers. Nice to meet you Lucas."

Lucas nodded his head, smiling a little, and then took another sip of his drink.

"So you live close by or...?"

Lucas scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed.  The bar was in a decent part of town, and all of the living spaces nearby were far too expensive for him to afford.  Though, she didn't need to hear that part.  "Nah, I'm pretty far away.  But my friend lost his daughter a few days ago and so he needed to get good and plastered.  You probably saw his handiwork as you came in."  Lucas shrugged.  "Probably not the best way to deal with things, but..."  Lucas cut off, figuring he didn't need to be spilling George's personal history to this girl.  She probably didn't care.  That didn't stop Lucas from thinking about it, though.  After his wife died a few years ago, Josephine was all he had left.  Now that she's gone...  Though George was only barely a friend, more an acquaintance really, Lucas had been invited by the guys and so he felt some concern for his coworker.  If he hadn't been invited, he probably wouldn't have really thought about it, but after seeing the man's grief in person...

Well, it brought back bad memories.  Memories of car crashes and the horrible things that always followed.  Unconsciously Lucas's right hand brushed against the scars on his neck, but when he noticed he tried to turn it into a scratching at his ear, hoping the girl hadn't seen the scars.  It's not that he was ashamed of them, far from it, but he didn't want to have people freaking out because he was a mutant.

"So, what kind of work do you do?"  Lucas asked, curious.

Sometimes having the echoes made it feel like Evelyn was having a conversation twice. Her powers answered a question shortly before someone had a chance to try to speak for themselves. Perhaps that was just one of the reasons she called them 'echoes' though. The information was just a quiet bouncing in the back of her mind as she tried to focus on the actual conversation.

"I can't imagine how tough that would be, loosing a child..." Evelyn remarked, honestly. She didn't make a big deal over it like some might have, but her expression was genuinely sad. While she could tell Lucas wasn't particularly close to the actual situation, his expression seemed to show he was effected by it. Maybe, in a way, he was facing his own echoes. Everyone had memories, and sometimes, those were enough by themselves.

Letting him change the topic, she didn't pry further, and shrugged slightly at his question. "I work at the museum. I enjoy it. Lots of art, lots of history. And if I'm lucky I get to stay in the back room and avoid the patrons." She flashed a grin momentarily, with a somewhat rueful tint. It was clear she wasn't particularly fond of customer service, and she took a large drink of her coke. The bubbles seemed to stick in her throat momentarily before they went down.

"I can't imagine how tough that would be, loosing a child..."

Lucas nodded solemnly.  He couldn't really think about it either.  He'd had his fair share of loss in his life, make no mistake, but no parent should outlive their child.

"I work at the museum. I enjoy it. Lots of art, lots of history. And if I'm lucky I get to stay in the back room and avoid the patrons."

Lucas chuckled slightly at Evelyn's wry smile, and shook his head.  "That's nice.  I wish I could avoid the customers.  I'm an electrician, you see, and there is nothing more annoying when trying to work than the 'customer' standing over your shoulder asking questions and being a nuisance."  Lucas took another sip of his drink and glanced over at Evelyn, wondering again about her hair.  Not that white hair was particularly wondersome, but it didn't look to be dyed or anything like that, and so Lucas had to wonder.  He was always on the lookout these days, being a mutant, even in the vastly improved state of things compared to a few years ago, was still a dangerous life.  "Just a few days ago, there was this guy who had a 'Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering, thank you very much.'"  Lucas took on a pompous tone as he quoted the customer.  "Let me tell you, I don't know what fake internet university he got his masters from, because he had no clue what was going on.  And of course, he had to go and tell me all the things I was doing wrong."

Electrician.... The echoes hadn't put that much together, but it wasn't one of those professions that gave itself away easily. Some professions left clues, like the artists painted clothes, the construction workers dusty boots and calloused hands. She didn't know enough about the profession to really understand what the job entailed, but having anyone hover over her shoulder asking questions would drive her up the wall. She could understand why that would be bothersome. At least in the museum she had a back room to hide in and work. Being stuck at the task while they tried to 'help'? It made her cringe a little.

"I think some people just enjoy feeling smart. Having to have someone help with a problem can be an ego killer so telling that person what to do can just be compensation. I only get the occasional art buff at work, thankfully, but I can usually put them in their place pretty well. I get to be a professional know it all so there is a smug satisfaction in that at times." She shook her head with amusement and pushed her hair from the face. Her companion seemed to be considering her hair a little, which wasn't rare but it was always a bit amusing. Pale hair her color was an abnormality, so a lot of people linked it to a form of mutation. While she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the echoes, it did help identify others who had powers.

"It's probably cheating since being a know it all is a mutation." She said, throwing him the verbal bone to quell his curiosity.