(White color is used when NPC's are speaking)

Tonight was like any other here at the docks, cold, wet and dark. It was in the evening, when there was little activity going on as a dingy looking cargo ship arrived. It was both part of her plan and all that she could afford. The woman, Miki of Japan had hired thugs, paid bribes, and spent everything she could to smuggle a certain cargo into New York. For years she had searched for a place to hide her son from his corrupt home in Japan, from his father. But he was no ordinary man, and it took time to finally find a place for him. And that place was here in New York. The ship arrived silently, the well dressed men manning the vessel began the steps to disembark, lowering ropes as well as a ramp so they could step onto the docks.

These men, dressed in suits and sporting the most serious of expressions were made up of a mixture of criminals and members of a cult. But the lot of them may as well be Yakuza, professional criminals. They spoke in Japanese "This way Miki-sama, we've arrived." Miki emerged from the underbelly of the vessel, a beautiful but worn out looking woman. While in Japan she was always seen in a kimono, here for this trip she wore more western clothes, hoping to blend in. "Thank you, unload the hold quickly, we mustn't keep him waiting." She asked the man, who respectfully bowed and made his with with others to unload the unique cargo they held.

Miki had made contact with this Xavier's school, a place for mutants to learn. Though using the term upset her son Ryoga, he was a mutant. She knew that much, and he needed better teachers to teach him how to embrace the better sides of humanity and his mutation. They had seemed eager to help her, though she had lied about some of the circumstances, such as the fact that her son was the idol of a Japanese cult. Miki walked down the ramp, and with two dangerous looking men standing behind her waited for her son to be unloaded, and for someone from this Xavier school to meet with her.

Miki had already vanished when she started a voyage to ferry Ryoga here, knowing trying to fly him here would be too easy to track and find. His Father and the cult were well funded, basically a branch of Yakuza themselves, and she couldn't use all those resources without being caught. She had to haphazardly come up with this to get him here, and she'd have to leave soon and return to Japan. And do her best to keep him safe from her husband and his god complex.

The crate was taking some time to unload, a massive container to make sure Ryoga was comfortable during the trip and safely smuggled into New York. Some other men came out from the boat, more of the loyal members of the cult, friends and servants to Miki and began to clear out the area, forcibly removing anyone who tried to remain. She had to be sure Ryoga was in good hands, she wouldn't hand her son over to someone she didn't believe in or trust. Finally a large create was being pulled out of the ship, the crane filling the previous silent night with a loud grinding noise. "Soon Ryoga, soon you will see the world without clouded vision." Miki smiled and nodded to her guards, knowing people from this Mansion would arrive and she was going to be as friendly as possible with them.

Evelyn wasn't exactly the best person to be put in charge of greeting New Mutants, but somehow, on that particular day she had stumbled onto the assignment. With the other x-men off on missions, or who knows where, the phone call had come in, and Evelyn found herself answering the phone after frantically trying to find someone better to address the buzzing machine. Mutant at the docks, needed someone from the school to greet them. Simple enough, right?

Wrong. After scouring the school, frantically looking for someone more official, the clock was ticking and no one was heading to meet the mutant. With her track record lately, she didn't exactly want to be the face of hospitality to someone just arriving in the city. The echoes weren't exactly the most polite or the most tactful. 'Hi, welcome to the city, wow you really have some suppressed anger issues, don't you? And that ego really needs to get looked at. Well, we have a doctor, but he doesn't fix that. Oh, there is a counselor, but last time I was around her I sorta ended up in the coma. Hopefully that doesn't happen to you.'.

This was going to go just perfectly.

So, after hailing a ride and bundling up, Evelyn did one last desperate sweep for someone more suitable. Luck would have it, she nearly ran over a face she had seen on the list of mansion greeters.

Wonder why else she looked familiar...

"Hey! You've done greeter duty with the school, haven't you?" She said in half-delight, half desperate. Without really waiting for a response, she grabbed the girl by the arm and shuffled her to the car while giving a quickly description of the problem.

Tactful. That was exactly what she was.

Clearly, a wary-but-quick-enough nod had been enough to answer the other girl's question... or she'd just really been in a hurry, and needed help quick. Amelia blinked at the girl, but went with it, shoulders shrugging slightly as she was pulled along.

She would have told the girl she could walk fine, and didn't need to be led, but she was so emphatic and forceful with that pull now, explain ten seconds later thing. Before she knew it, they were already at the car.

"Okay. So. Docks. You have a driver?" Her eyes fell on the person behind the wheels, and she blinked in mild surprise. Not everyone had drivers.

Miki remained in the same spot, staring towards the streets of this foreign city as she waited upon a representative of Xavier's. The various men hanging around the docks were starting to seem bored, this stop going longer than they expected. Some of them were just paid to be here, so no problem, but members of the cult were risking their standing and lives to be here to help Miki. They didn't serve the cult though, they served the god Orochi, and he had stated he wanted to come as well, so they came as asked. One of the men approached Miki, speaking softly to her.

"Miki-sama, the American's are late. This is a rude gesture to Orochi-sama, and you as well Madamn." The man didn't look her in the eyes, but was voicing a complaint, a rarity for members of the Cult. Mike smiled and replied to her underling. "We are no longer in Japan, there is a time difference and American's...are not as prompt as we Japanese, forgive them and let us wait a bit longer." Mike kept a cool front on her face to keep her servants patient, but she was starting to worry.

Ryoga would not stay locked up for long, and if he wanted out nobody was going to stop him or the scene he'd make as he stepped onto American soil, and that was a catasrophe she didn't want to deal with. She took a breath and checked the time, twenty minutes had passed so far, not an unreasonable amount but it was still making her nervous. She turned to her other subordinates "Check the area once more, and make sure it is safe for my son. I will tolerate no mistakes this day, it must go well." Her tone was stern, which immediately sent some of the men to sweep the docks again making sure the only people there were friends.

However even with all of these men here to aid Miki, trust was a hard thing to judge. Each of these men served in a cult, that worshipped a mutant as a god. Deification did odd things to a man's mind, and perhaps some of these men here had an alternative agenda than the one Miki had herself.

They were late. They were very late late late. Evelyn was starting to feel like the white rabbit scurrying to make it on time. Except she wasn't a rabbit. And they were in a car. And she had no control over them being late.

As soon as the car stopped at the docks Evelyn scrambled out the door, however, and waved for Ami to follow. There was no missing the place they were heading: even with the western outfits, the echoes could sense the foreign party lingering around the abnormally large crate protectively.

"Ok, so here's the plan. You be all greeter like and welcome and apologize and stuff, I'll...not. I don't exactly do well at social stuff." Evelyn said. It sounded like a fool proof plan. This was why she grabbed Ami, after all. They needed a greeter, well, this was the best they could get.

The size of the crate however made her question her judgement. That seemed like an awfully big container for a mutant...

Didn't do well at the social stuff, huh? She assessed the white-haired woman for a second. Yeah, that fit. She didn't seem much too well-read on the whole 'explaining things' or 'explaining herself' or even 'giving a name'. And the tugging on the arm? Tch. But she didn't dwell on that. They could talk like mature adults about that later. What she needed to do was... introduce them. To a bunch of foreigners. And speak on behalf of the entire mansion, with little to no preparation, on a cold, wet night, in a Doctor Who hoodie. And blue jeans. She suddenly felt woefully unprepared.

The crate seemed to loom as they approached it, and various people took notice of them, though she couldn't quite read their expressions. Growling internally, Amelia shot her 'accomplice' a dirty look. "Alright," she said warily. "I can do this. But if I'm going to be introducing us, at least give me your name."

"Evelyn," Evelyn replied.

The name was a familiar one, and it only took her mind one moment to make the connection. Mirror's new girlfriend's name was Evelyn, according to mansion talk. Well, frick. Ex, meet new.

These people she was now standing in front of had better speak English. "Good evening," she smiled politely. "Welcome to America. I apologize for the wait. A dog mutant ate the car keys, and we had to get an inorganic matter teleporter to 'fish' them out. My name's Amelia, and this," she gestured to Evelyn like Vanna White gestured on TV. "Is Evelyn." If the excuse had been ridiculous and made up on the spot, that was going to fall on Evelyn's head, not her own. "What can we do to help you?"

It seemed her waiting was finally drawing to a close, Miki watched as two young women approached the docks, and came upon her and her men. The older Japanese woman smiled, though one of her two personal guards bent over to speak to her, his voice loud enough to be heard, but speaking strickly in Japanese. "Miki-sama, these two are but children themselves, do the American's disrespect us and Orochi-sama so much?" The man's face was easy to read, showing signs of annoyance at two young girls showing up to meet a being he viewed as an Earthbound god. The woman Miki lifted her hand to silence him, the man quickly returning to attention out of respect for her. "Quiet! This is a different country, and even if they meant us disrespect we would not show the same." The woman's tone softened as she stepped forward, looking upon Amelia and Evelyn.

She smiled at the two of them, a gentle smile from a gentle woman, before she bowed forward in a sign of respect. She rose and spoke, this time in English, well mannered but with a Japanese accent. "Konbanwa, my name is Honda, Miki and it is a pleasure to meet you both." Miki lifted her hand to gesture the large crate behind her, it's size looming over the conversation. "I contacted your school about admitting and helping my son, who happens to be within this storage unit." Though she claimed her son was in a crate, she didn't seem bothered by the idea of him being stored within it. "I have heard that this city is home to many unique individuals, of all shapes and sizes, and of all races." She turned, walking a few steps towards the crate.

"My son is a mutant, a very unique one. In our country, his Father teaches him pride, cruelty, and selfishness. He teaches my son to be a dishonorable man." She turned her head back to the two girls from the Mansion. "That is not the life I want for my son. His differences make him special, make him different. And that means he's no worse, and no better than anyone else. I want him to learn honor, understanding, kindness. I want him to be a man that others will respect and admire."

She stopped for a moment, her eyes focusing on Ami and Evelyn. "Tell me, are you teachers at this school? I mean no disrespect to you, but both of you look very young, no older than my son even." She waited for a respond from the girls, not thinking less of them for being students, or trainees, or anything. She was simply curious of those who would be taking her son from her, she wanted to believe in them before she wasn't around to make sure Ryoga behaved. The boy was very...head strong in what he wanted and did. Speaking of the devil, a thunderous roar escaped from the crate, causing the various strong dangerous looking Yakuza men around the docks to murmer in Japanese and act awestruck of that crate. Miki simply smiled looking at the crate for a moment and then turning to the girls again. "Ah, my son is punctual for once." She giggled a bit as she waved at some of the men standing behind her. "Ryoga has woken, it's time to let him see America, free my son!" Her voice was loud and stern, the men rushing to do as she asked.

The tension in the air began to build as various locks became unlatched, some sounds of movement escaping the crate as the door began to fall. Miki warned the girls with a gentle tone. "Please don't be afraid of him, and forgive him. My son can be a bit overbearing at times" With her last word the latch of the crate fell with a loud thud, and revealed it's contents. Curled up in a ball, the Atomic Dragon stirred from a long slumber. His tail slithered from his body, before a large saurian creature began to emerge towards the girls from the Mansion. A dragon, walking on all fours, his body covered in charcoal gray scales, and spines growing from his back and around his shoulders. A majestic creature whose head was lined with horns like a crown.

The dragon looked at the two girls, his head hovering around 6 feet off the ground as he spoke, his voice unlike any other on the planet. "Are these the ones Mother?" The dragon asked, showing that this small Japanese woman was in fact his mother. She lifted her hand, standing on her toes as she whacked the creature on his head, like it was nothing. "Ryoga, do not disrespect them. Introduce yourself, now." The dragon growled softly and spoke once more, his yellow eyes burning holes into Amelia and Evelyn. "Konbanwa, I am Honda, Ryoga. I am a Japanese God, and I have come to see your country." His mother sighed as the boy introduced himself and looked to the girl's reactions.

While Evelyn had never left New York, the city hadn't deprived her of at least some cultural exposure. With the massive amounts of tourists that funneled through the city, it was almost impossible not to pick up on some of the mingling cultures. With dinner parties and other social events, Evelyn had to learn at least some of the formalities to survive and keep her parents pacified. When greeting the party at the docks, she gave a polite bow like she had learned during those events, and tried not to let her irritation rise when she overheard the comments from the gathered party. Children... Well, she was certainly no child, and while she had brought Ami to help with formalities, she wondered if that just hurt her case in the end.

Ami...Evelyn was finding it hard to follow the conversation as the other female introduced herself. Somehow she had managed to drag her boyfriend's X to the docks to greet a this party. In hind sight, that might have been a bit of a flub. But a least she gave a decent cover story, even if her attire wasn't helping their impressions. Evelyn felt the echoes studying the setting while the talk about the school skim past, content letting Ami deal with that part. The last question drew her in, however, and she took a small step forward.

>>Tell me, are you teachers at this school? I mean no disrespect to you, but both of you look very young, no older than my son even."

"We aren't teachers, but Ami helps with greeting news students and I am one of the school's trainees. I apologize we weren't able to bring anyone more seasoned to see you, but I assure you, we are more than able to help introduce your son to this city. I've lived here for all twenty-five years of my life, and I know it far better than most. I know the people and faces in this city. Hopefully that can put your mind at ease a little bit." Evelyn spoke up. She didn't know Ami well enough to know her bragging points, but she as the crate stirred, she decided now was not the time to be shy with their resume. A short while later at the dragon was gazing down at them.

The small boost she felt she gave herself with her age seemed somewhat diminished by his size. [Proud, self-centered.] The echoes started chiming even as they studied the mutant. While the echoes were more experienced with humans than reptiles, a bit of time around Sylar at least aided reading Ryoga's actions. The tilt of the head, the almost arrogant behavior. This was who they wanted to take to the Mansion? She met someone like this, this stuck up and blinded by their own mutation. Mahadevi was certain she was a goddess. Well, now the city had someone who thought they were a god...

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope your trip was well." Evelyn said, eyes fading from their blue color back to a cool grey as the echoes studied. From the workers to the dragon, there was much to take in and listen to. He respected his mother, but there was still something in his attitude that was stubborn. That must be the element of his father. Was that trustworthy? Was it safe? They had kids in the mansion, the last thing she wanted was him taking a swat at one of them if they didn't bow in his presence...

In her life, she'd listened to many a subbed anime, Sailor Moon being one of the first and foremost. It had a character named 'Ami', and had been one source of her nickname. So when the thug was talking, she was able to catch words like 'children' and 'disrespect' easy enough. Her face, she kept passive, but inwardly, she decided she didn't much like the guard, or the situation. That feeling grew more and more severe with each passing moment.

You ever have that feeling where your stomach starts to sink into the earth? And every word someone says makes it worse? One gets that feeling sometimes, when watching a Horror movie, hearing each and every stupid thing someone says or does. You hear the music getting louder and more dangerous, and you can just tell something bad is going to happen. This Miki woman's words were setting off all sorts of horror music vibes in the back of Amelia's mind. Her son was in a storage unit? Was he King Kong, fresh off the island? Who kept family in crates? And Dishonorable man? Was he a murderer? Did they really want him at the mansion, around kids? Her eyes shifted surreptitiously towards Evelyn for a moment, then slid back to the Asian woman. She asked them a question, and Evelyn answered. Hopefully, that meant she was taking more of an interest in the situation, and not looking down on her ability to handle it. Didn't feel positive, regardless.

"Yeah," she chimed in after the girl had finished talking. "We'll do our best."

Something roared like Godzilla, and sent a shudder of worry through her gut. Why was the Asian woman giggling about it? What? Were they going to sacrifice virgins? Well... too bad. She wanted them to not be angry, and to forgive her son? As long as he didn't kill anyone, sure, okay. Why the hell was she so on-guard? If she'd had a gun along, she might've been holding it for security and defense. It was probably for the best she did not.

Out, the dragon man came. His posture and the way he regarded them spoke ego to her. She didn't have to be a detective to see that. Huge, scaly, with large wings and sharp teeth. He was blackish-grey, and looked like he could go toe-to-toe with Smaug if he wanted to. His mother chided him, and he growled about it, eyes locking on them with a piercing gaze that felt like it could see right through them. Unconsciously, she clutched at the front of her hoodie, by her neck.

She wasn't impressed. "Welcome to America," she chimed in after Evelyn, letting her hand drop to her sides. She bowed her head slightly for one moment, then moved on. "The mansion will be glad to accept you. We'll do our best to find you appropriate living arrangements." Read: You're really big, and something might need to be built. Maybe they could get the earth elemental to build something out of concrete. "I am certain you are eager to be at your new home, after such a long trip."

Miki listened as Evelyn spoke, explaining her and Ami's experience in dealing with mutants. Miki did pick up on Evelyn's age, she was older than Ryoga, a fact that might help her deal with the proud but respectful boy. She nodded at Evelyn and spoke "I see, that is comforting to hear. You are both experienced, a fact that will be helpful with Ryoga." As Ryoga introduced himself Miki watched, paying attention to her son's attitude. He was arrogant and over-bearing, but at heart Ryoga still had a human heart, it just needed to be guided to the surface, to merge with this dreadful persona his Father had created.

Miki spoke up to introduce the two girls to Ryoga. She pointed to each girl as she gave their name. "This is Amelia, she greets new students and residents. And this is Evelyn, she is a trainee with the school, and your elder Ryoga." Ryoga listened to the information, and then turned his focus to Evelyn. He lowered his head a bit, putting his eyes to Evelyn's level, the large amber orbs judging Evelyn's presence and response. "I'm sure it is Miss Evelyn, I have spent much of this trip sleeping and I am looking forward to seeing this city and this school." Ryoga's tone was powerful and laced with pride. Though is words were at best "demeaning" he did believe his mother. If this girl was older than him and more experienced, he would defer to that as they left these docks. The other girl Amelia, also welcomed him and spoke of finding him proper living arrangements. The dragon turned to Ami, his head lifting back up into the air.

"I've read much about this country, I hope it lives up to my books." He had come from a country vastly different to America, and a home which treated him like a god and catered to his every whim, getting used to this place would be an experience for the dragon man. "Accepting one such as myself will be an honor for your Mansion, I will expect a space to keep me out of this cold." Ryoga could function in the cold, but he despised it. Like a common lizard it slowed his blood and made his thoughts numb. He was quite hungry as well, getting little sun during this long trip. Ami spoke of eagerness to see a new home, to which the dragon responded. "I left behind much in my country, to come here on my Mother's whims. I trust this place will not fail her expectations." His words were almost like a threat, though it was only because of his reverence for his mother's wishes and beliefs.

Ryoga lowered his head to his Mother's level, and his tone was one of submission, unlike how he spoke to either Ami or Evelyn. "Mother, what will you do now? I cannot protect you if you leave this place." The dragon was concerned, since his mother betrayed her husband and home to bring him here. The woman simply smiled "You are young Ryoga, still learning and growing. You must find your place in the world, just as I found mine, watching over you. I will return to Japan, but trust that I will be watching you." There was much work to be done in her home, to ensure Ryoga's safety here away from his father. Miki bowed once more to Ami and Evelyn "I leave my son in your care, and I hope to hear good things when next we speak." She rose up and turned around, heading back towards the boat as the various men in black followed behind her. Each of these men stopped for a moment to bow to Ryoga, showing just how the man grew so arrogant.

Ryoga didn't turn to watch as the ship packed up, or as his Mother vanished below deck. For a time he simply stood like a statue, thinking about his situation. What was it about his Mother that could make him give up all he knew, to come here. Why did he believe her so much more than his Father, and what would he do here? Finally he spoke "A God without his congregation, let me meet this new world. Please Miss Evelyn, Miss Amelia lead me to this Mansion."

It was clear Evelyn had at least done something right. Age clearly was an important matter, and while it felt somewhat manipulative to throw it out like that, Evelyn was starting to realize this encounter might be part tact, part careful maneuvering. The tact, she might have trouble with that. But she might just be able to learn which buttons to push with this new arrival, and hopefully avoid the rest.

As the dragon spoke, the echoes chattered quietly and read his behavior, and that of the party that was with him. He certainly behaved a lot like Mahadevi. Maybe the two of them could chat sometime... "I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but New York itself is certainly interesting." She wasn't sure how much of recent events he'd heard about, especially with the riots and social unrest a while back. While the city wasn't the safest in the country, there were plenty of people to stand up for you if trouble arrived. Glancing at Ryoga's size, she wondered if he would even have that much trouble. Who would intentionally pick a fight with a dragon? Unless they were suicidal or something...

After the party split up, Evelyn glanced at Amelia and back at the dragon. While they came by car, she was fairly certain such modes of transportation were out of the question for Ryoga. "Were you wanting to look around at all, or would you like to follow us back to the Mansion first?" She asked, trying to figure out the best way to address the issue. With his behavior, she wouldn't be surprised if he was offended by an assumption he'd fly himself somewhere. Or he could be offended by the assumption he couldn't...

The dragon had focused on Evelyn first, slightly bowing his head. A show of respect. He didn't give her any such show, something she noted as any girl might. By committing it to memory. She also remembered the 'one such as myself' comment. Amelia kept up a polite smile. It wasn't the firs time she'd dealt with an egotistical mutant. This wasn't her first rodeo. And things were going smoothly. Keeping up the air of professionalism would only help with that.

"Of course," she commented, when he spoke of the cold. When he commented about New York living up to his mother's descriptions, and Evelyn chimed in with her own vote of confidence for New York. Amelia added to that sentiment tactfully. "Having lived here my whole life as well, I'd venture a guess that we could both be excellent guides."

The dragon seemed to respect his mother, one of the few he'd seemed respectful of. Perhaps the hint of hostility in his comments on New York living up to his mother's descriptions were more about not wanting his mother to be deemed a liar or disrespected than they were a threat. Amelia added this to her mental list of notes, alongside his concerns.

Amelia returned the bow with her head when Ryoga's mother bowed to them. "Yes," she said. The woman departed, along with (eventually, and after much bowing), her men. Amelia could see why the dragon might have had a big head.

As Ryoga stood contemplatively, Amelia looked Evelyn's way, catching her eye. She caught the underlying thought beneath Evelyn's words. How in the world would they get a dragon across New York and to the mansion? They couldn't well strap him to the car's roof. She kept quiet, and let the dragon-man answer Evelyn's question while she considered the problem, and myriad solutions on her own.

Ryoga pondered over what he knew of this city while Evelyn spoke to him. This city was known for it's mutant population, with sides both for and against that community. These mutants were odd humans with special powers, they inspired fear and awe, something Orochi could connect with, as the dragon refused to allow himself to be referred to as a "mutant". "I've certainly read some interesting things about it." The dragon mumbled in response, his attention only half focused on Evelyn.

Both of the women claimed to be excellent guides, a fact the dragon would remember for later. A tour of the city, both to familiarize himself and show himself off to the city would be needed. The dragon however realized that these two had not brought a truck, back at his home in Japan, the servants always had a truck read if he wished to be moved. The older girl Evelyn asked if he would follow them back to the Mansion, imagine the gall to ask him to just walk on his own. Seemed the lack of manners would be an issue in this country. He huffed, blowing the air out his nose. "I would usually soar and show myself off to this city of humans, but the trip was quite exhausting." Ryoga spoke, using an excuse to divert attention from asking him to fly, a feat he was actually incapable off. "And my servants usually kept a truck for when I wanted to be moved." The dragon's voice was laced with obvious insult at their lack of preparation, even though such a thought was insulting and incorrect.

Ryoga had been asleep too long on this trip, so at least a walk through the city would help to wake his tired muscles up, and stir his hunger for the morning. "I shall humble myself and follow you to your home. And I guess this is a chance for you two guides to show me some of your city." Ryoga took a moment to stand up, extending his wings and flapping them once, creating a strong breeze as he woke the tired muscles up in preparation for a long walk to his new home.

[Offended] Of course he was. Of course they should know to bring a truck to transport a dragon. Of course he couldn't just fly. Evelyn kept her face blank though, and fiddled with her phone for a second. "We can get a truck to pick us up. It might take a little bit to get here though. I apologize for not having better accommodations, this all came up rather quickly for us to put together." Maybe her excuses would irritate him next. Darn dragons. Darn hospitality. She was not made for this stuff.

After texting Jensen the S.O.S. and notice for help with the truck, she tucked her phone away so she wouldn't look rude. The wind from his wings buffeted her hair and send the white locks spilling over her face.

Darn wings. She shoved it out of her face and gazed out towards the city.

"We can walk a little bit though and then you can see some of the city rather than just sitting around here." She suggested. She glanced at Ami for help. She was not ready to deal with this problem.

Evelyn had upset him. Good going, Evelyn! He didn't feel like flying. He was too sore to soar. The trip had tuckered him out! Way to be incredibly insensitive to the plight of an egotistical lizard. Although calling a dragon a lizard mentally was probably no better. Eh. Whatever.


Amelia tried not to let any of her annoyance with the situation (and partially with the girl who'd dragged her into it without much back-storym or sufficient planning) slip onto her face. Some of it probably did, though. It wasn't like she was a pro Poker player waiting on the turn or the river.

She let Evelyn handle setting up the truck and make her excuses. "I apologize personally," she chimed in after Evelyn had finished talking. "Usually as greeter, it's up to me to make sure proper steps are taken. As Evelyn said, it was all very sudden. I didn't get the information I needed in time. But it's an easy enough thing to call up a truck and solve the problem." She smiled confidently at the dragon. Because she felt that confidence belied knowledge and courage, traits he likely admired. Prostrating herself in front of a giant lizard wasn't really her idea of a good time... and probably would make him feel less of her. So she apologized smartly and professionally, and spoke of solutions rather than reparations.

The wing attack made her inwardly shiver. She rubbed her hands together nonchalantly as she listened to the other two talk.

Orochi had agreed to a short walk, and Evelyn had agreed with his agreement. She supposed it was her turn to agree with the agreeing agree-ers. An aggregation of agreement, that it was. "Yep," she said. Yep, they could. Evelyn was looking her way. She supposed it would help her out if she volunteered something further than that. Being at the docks put them in a bit of a pickle, as far as sight-seeing went. Turning, she looked out over the waters. They were in Manhattan, weren't they? "If you squint," she commented. "You can maybe make out a speck of something that is probably the lit up statue of liberty." Unless that's a cloud. Or a boat. Or something else. Her hand hovered over her eyes like a visor as she leaned forward and looked.