Caution. Evelyn respected caution, and gave a light smile as amber asked her question. "I offer to help because I have a flaw: I am unhealthily curious. I may have certain... traits that set me apart from others, but even that can't answer all life's questions. The only way I get stronger is by learning more. You have a rare gift and knowledge I don't possess. I know little about dinosaurs, or anything prehistoric, but that's because there is only so much you can learn from a fossil. My only hope is that if I help you, some day I'll have a chance to learn more from a living one. Unlike many people, I find new things fascinating." She gave a genuine smile, and glanced up at the winged figure above their heads. She could only imagine the terrifying yet awe inspiring sight it would be to see in person.

"It's your choice though. Even if you decline today, it would still stand. I frequent these sort of 'haunts', and the staff can always help you find me. You'd just have to ask for Holmes. They'd know who you're talking about." She gave a slight smile and idly meandered to one side, letting the woman contemplate it. Meanwhile, she let her eyes drift to their colorless grey, and took in the echoes coming off the next set of fossils like it was a glass of wine she simply could sit back and enjoy.

Of all the possible answers Amber might have been expecting, the stranger happened to say exactly the right one to get her to trust, at least as far as getting to touch the fossils up close. Despite some of the more unexpected turns of her life and the constant struggle for balance between her human and predator side, she maintained a strong appreciation for learning and open-mindedness. If there was ever to be hope for humans and mutants to live together in relative peace, and she wasn't at all certain there was, it would certainly be achieved through education and mutual understanding.

Amber smiled, some of the tension going out of her slight form and extended a hand for shaking. "If we're going to do this, I think introductions may be in order. I'm Amber. You don't know how much I appreciate this and I would like nothing better than help you learn more about prehistoric reptiles."

Evelyn gave a slight smile, and took Amber's hand, giving it a polite shake. Inwardly, she was relieved. While she had made the offer in good faith, she would have hated for the woman to leave without getting what she wanted. That was a risk and she didn't want to deal with an uncertain return from a dinosaur shifter.

"My name is Evelyn. Now, don't panic, I'm going to speak with the guards and my handler... If you'd just wait here..." She waited for a nod or a word of acknowledgement, then she started towards the two men on the other end of the museum and gave a not to the guard.

"John, my parents wanted me to check on a few of the fossil exhibits before I leave today. I've brought a companion with me to help out, and it shouldn't take but a few moments. I hope that's all right with you? After the money we put into the exhibition, they just want to make sure they are being cared for properly." She gave a sticky sweet smile and the guard shuffled nervously. He glanced at Jensen, then back at Evelyn, and nodded quickly.

"Of course, Miss Summers. If you head to the front desk I'm sure Carrol will help you get the proper keys." He glanced over her shoulder at the odd looking woman, but Evelyn gave him a sharp glare. He quickly turned away. "I'll make sure the area is secure. Let me know if you require any assistance." He stuttered. Evelyn gave a nod and strode back to where Amber was waiting.

"The keys are up front. Just let me know which exhibits you want access to and I can collect them."

Amber watched as Evelyn spoke to the guard, patient but also a little nervous. Failure was not something she wanted to be forced to accept. It had been far too long since she had the opportunity to gain any new forms and there was no telling when she'd gain this opportunity again. It was important to have variety, something for every situation and enough of something to keep your enemies off balance.

It was gratifying to see that this near complete stranger was actually willing to lie on her behalf, all be it a simple white lie. Perhaps, she reflected, she ought to re-evaluate her views on humans or at least some humans. Everything she had learned of them had led her to distrust and fear, but this was clearly a different lesson entirely.

"The keys are up front. Just let me know which exhibits you want access to and I can collect them."

"There are two forms I'm looking to acquire today," Amber answered, still feeling a little baffled by the whole turn of events. "An allosuarus and a pachycephalosaurus. If we can find even a single fossil from those two creatures, I would be grateful." All that was needed was one touch and their forms would be hers.

Evelyn gave a nod as the two dinosaurs were listed, and walked casually towards the front desk. If there was one thing she'd learned from her family, it was how to be calm under pressure. Her posture was good, her movements collected, and she was the posture child for the daughter of a well-off family. So long as she didn't do anything stupid, they wouldn't ask questions. Most of the local museums knew by now to just let her do what she wanted. Her family invested too much to complain.

It was one of the rare things she enjoyed about her upbringing.

"Carrol, can I have the keys to the allosuarus and pachycephalosaurus exhibits? I'm doing some research for a project and I wanted to have a closer look at their bone structures. I promise to be careful, and if something happens I promise my parents will repay you." She said in a delicate tone. The secretary looked hesitant at first, then she seemed to have a flicker of recognition and quickly collected the keys. Holding them out, she gave a small nod.

"Just be careful dear... those fossils are extremely---well, I'm sure you already know. Just return the keys when you're done." She stumbled over her words and then went back to working on her computer. Evelyn gave a smile and a nod of recognition, then started down the path towards the first exhibit, keys in hand. She gave Amber a small, but far more genuine, smile. "There are few advantages to having the parents I do, but access to my favorite museums has always been the one I enjoy the most. It feels fun to share it for once." She admitted, looking around as they walked. The echoes were quieter right now, with less clamor from strangers they were trying to analyze, but there was still the quiet murmuring about security cameras and different exhibits.

There were many interactions with humans that Amber found challenging. Anything that involved reading body language or those irritatingly unstated words seemed to be incompatible with how she was built. The one skill she had managed to acquire, however, was the illusion of calm and confidence. As a natural predator, she had gone through many a stress filled life or death situation and that calm was one skill that transferred over to her human existence. If one gave way to panic in the natural world, one was likely to die.

With her head held high and her eyes carefully averted, Amber followed Evelyn into restricted areas. It felt strange to be walking in so directly and obviously without the least attempt to hide herself. She felt a pang, wishing it could be like this always. Why should she have to feel the need to hide her actions when she really wasn't doing anything wrong? She probably had more respect for the fossils inside than half the scientists working on them.

"You're lucky," Amber answered. "My family has money but not much in the way of influence." Or at least, not the type of influence that would get her into a museum. Well known Abyss and Aura might be but it was the type of well known that was more on the infamous side of things than the respected side. "Even before I discovered what I could do I've always loved museums.

"Museums have always been one of my favorite places. There was so much to learn from the different paintings and exhibits. History has much to teach us, and as I've already stated, I do enjoy learning new things." She breezily walked over to the exhibit where they kept the allosuarus, and gazed for a moment at the impressive figure. While the bones were arranged to give the appearance of motion, they were still so still, so lifeless. A small little shiver went down her spine as she realized the woman next to her had the ability to make such a creature live again, and she glanced at her companion with respect.

"Yet your gifts you access to another world. You get to transform, be something that isn't yourself. While it may be feared by many, there is still something you alone can experience. I can have the keys to the exhibit, you have keys to it's past." She moved forward and unlocked the barricade protecting it, and tried not to be too nosy as she watched what Amber would do.

"Growing up I was often sick. There wasn't much to do aside from learn and play music so I developed a passion for museums and libraries." It didn't seem relevant to start talking about all the horrible things the other children in the group home had done nor how hard it was not having a family. "It was only by chance that I discovered some of the things I had learned growing up actually had importance to my life."

Seeing the allosaurus skeleton up close, Amber paused a moment to gaze at it. Even in its skeleton she could see its grace and power, a predator far larger than any others in her possession. She knew it to be a regal beast and she would uphold its regal nature once it was hers. There was a certain obligation to the past in what she did and it was an obligation she held deer to her heart.

"Thank you," Amber answered. "Not many would see things the way you do." Once opened Amber took a cautious step forward and placed her hand upon a leg bone. The touch was gentle, offering the respect due the ancient fossils before her. She felt the familiar surge of energy go through her, ever so briefly, as her body took in the imprint of the allosaurus. Once finished, she turned and nodded at Evelyn.

"I'm afraid that part isn't really the exciting part. If you like, when we're finished here I can show you the truth of what I can do."

"At least that's a blessing then. Too many people seem to have had their powers create a space between the things they love and themselves. If I had the ability to shift into dinosaurs I would probably be at a loss at first. At least until I had time to learn more about them." She gazed at the skeleton, walking slowly around it as she contemplated. Her echoes were mostly quiet, mostly speaking about texture, how they were holding up against the elements, what the arrangement suggested of the animals movement. Most of it was basic information. No life startling events hidden in the sounds.

As Amber touched the bone, there wasn't much to watch, as she was warned. But there was something powerful about being there. She was always curious of other mutants. Other being a rather uncomfortable word, however. Evelyn didn't really view herself as a mutant. She saw herself as an extremely gifted human, and if her Playbacks hadn't appeared when she was younger, she probably would have never admitted she was different at all. Still, she was content in being as human as possible. There were too many problems otherwise... But watching someone so at peace with their abilities. That was a beautiful thing, and she wished she could be the same.

She smiled at the suggestion that was offered, and gave a nod of her head. "I'd be lying if I didn't admit how much that would interest me. I find the entire concept fascinating. If they are half as intriguing as they are dead, I can only image how intimidating yet powerful they'd be in person." She remarked. She locked the exhibit behind Amber as she finished, and then slowly started towards the next dinosaur.

"At least that's a blessing then. Too many people seem to have had their powers create a space between the things they love and themselves.

It was a sad reality to consider and one that rang all too true in Amber's mind. Not that her life as a mutant was all rainbows and sunshine; far from it, but at least she understood her place in the world and had learned to accept the curses that came with the profound blessing that was her power.

"Believe me, I was at a loss at first," she replied with a wan smile, remembering her very early experiences. "It took a while to realize what was happening and even longer to be able to control it. I used to shift whenever I was afraid that was...problematic." It was something she could smile at now but that hadn't always been the case.

Amber waited patiently for Evelyn to lock the door of the exhibit and prepared to follow her to the next one. "I look forward to showing you what they're like in person then," Amber replied. "Very few people really appreciate things on the level you seem to." Once again the thought that there was something a little strange about the girl entered her mind but she shrugged it off.

The walk to the next exhibit didn't take long, and Evelyn moved just as breezily as she had before. While her companion would not pick up the level of information her own echoes provided, there were still things an observant individual could learn about her. First off, she was confident, in an unnatural sort of way. Few people would move through a museum like she did, even the security guards, especially at dark. There was always a momentary hesitation as their eyes tried to adjust to a change of lighting, or take in something they didn't quite remember. But Evelyn knew these rooms with an uncanny familiarity. It was like following a path in a dream: somehow, you always knew where you were going.

The second thing that was clear with Evelyn was she came from money. While her dress was by no means extravagant, and she got most of her clothing second hand because it was more amusing for her that way, she still pulled herself together well, and managed to look her best. While most American's tended to have at least a slight slouch, she walked straight, and you probably could have balanced some books on her head without them falling over. People often found her nice, but a bit...off. It was like she knew things she probably shouldn't, like a mind reader.

She couldn't read minds, but she could certainly find out enough without it.

"I look forward to seeing it in person. And I guess I've always found it easier to appreciate the abnormal over other people. While my parents generally discourage socializing with mutants, I guess I feel...curious." That was true. While she was supposed to keep her identity as a mutant under wraps, she couldn't help the feeling of connectivity she felt when being around her own 'kind'. They were all so different, so unique, so fascinating. She wished she could just... be one. Admit it, be proud of it. Show people what she could do and embrace it. But it was terrifying. If the wrong person knew the things her mind could discover, she would have a world of problems.

As it was, she still didn't have much of a social life. Any date she ever attempted to have ended somewhere between "This is my handler who will be escorting us" to her accidentally screwing up and picking up on an echo they really hadn't felt too inclined to share. Twenty-four, single....twenty-four, never been kissed. That was the curse of being a mutant.

So there was some truth in her admission that mutations seemed to separate people from the things they love and themselves.

It was such a refreshingly rare experience to speak with a human that no only seemed to accept Amber, mutant as she was, but also admitted to be openly curious about mutants. There should have been more than one thing counting against the odds of such a thing happening, not the least of which was the fact that Evelyn appeared to come from wealth. Thus, not only was Amber a mutant and one who couldn't easily hide what she was, but she was also a poor orphan girl. Well, perhaps not poor any longer thanks to her adoption by Abyss but it was hard to entirely lose that mentality.

"Do you have any mutants in your family?" Amber asked. What she really wanted to ask was if she might not be a mutant herself, either hiding it for reasons Amber could entirely appreciate or perhaps in denial about such a fact. In truth, her level of observation went beyond what she felt was normal or natural but she just wasn't quite certain enough to speak her mind on the subject. After all, maybe Evelyn was just an unusually observant human and she caused offence by her question?

"You've been very nice to me. I promise to repay your kindness when you get some place private. I can put on a show like few others." Amber smiled, although it was a smile tinged with sadness. It was far too rare for others to show her actual kindness.

Evelyn frowned slightly as she considered the question. She knew the response she was supposed to say. Denial was safer than the truth. But she didn't want to lie, and the more people she spoke to the more she started questioning and asking this question for herself. Did her family have mutants? Perhaps. If that included her. But that brought the question of what defined someone as a 'mutant'. Was being smart enough to make her inhuman? Or was that just her own personal little curse.

She pushed her hair from her face and looked at her companion, "I think so... I guess it's been complicated with my family. I have never exactly been normal, but not really different enough to really consider myself a mutant... my parents certainly refuse to admit the possibility. I know that doesn't really answer it, but at least being different made me have more understanding for people who are less than societies 'norm'." She tried to give a comforting smile.

They reached the next exhibit, and she unlocked it stepping to the side. "Whether or not, though, I have always enjoyed seeing the unique manner in which other's abilities develop. I would be boring in comparison if I really related to your kind."