The quick car ride from the nearby coffee shop to the Sanctuary was a bumpy, but short one. It also showed that Shade should not ever be allowed behind the wheel of a vehicle. With the hard braking and serious heavy foot, the shadow mutant had obviously not driven in a while. In fact, he had barely driven after passing Driver's Ed in high school for the simple fact that it was faster for him to teleport.

Finally arriving at the Sanctuary's garage after twenty minutes when the trip usually would have taken only two, Shade turned the car into a vacant parking spot with a final hard stop. Getting out of the car, the shadow mutant made his way back to the trunk before opening it to see how his passenger rode in her oh-so-comfortable seat.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary!" Shade said, imitating his favorite Sanctuary secretary. However, it was full of sarcasm.

Evelyn was glaring quite forcefully at the lid of the trunk, or rather, where it would be. In the darkness, there was little her mind could tell her about it, but that didn't silence the echoes. There were chattering about the chaotic driving techniques of her captor ([Lacks experience handling vehicle. Does not obey traffic signals.]]) and she hit her shoulder and knees more than once against the car as the swerving spun her around. Obviously, the shadow mutant was unaccustomed to traveling by any means other than teleportation, and she tucked that information away for future use.

By the time the car stopped, Evelyn's echoes were drowning under her own irritation. She wasn't sure exactly where they were, but she knew the general distance and location, figuring they were in a more south-eastern direction about twenty minutes from there original location. As the trunk opened, she curled her face into a stubborn glare and pushed her ruffled hair from her face.

"Oh, the Sanctuary. Sounds nice, and the ride was just delightful." She said with a sickly sweet voice, and sat up, smoothing out her skirt with a grumble. She rubbed an elbow ruefully as she struggled to stand and climb out of the trunk. It took a few moments, and she ignored Shade while she did, before daintily hopping to the ground.

As the deranged blond stumbled into a standing position, Shade tried to steady her by holding on to her elbow, but she shrugged his offer off. He chose to ignore her retaliation to his sarcasm. After fixing all the wrinkles in her skirt and replacing every hair back to where it was suppose to be, Evelyn finally seemed content with her appearance. When she had managed to make it to the concrete floor of the garage with a delicate leap, the shadow mutant pulled his hood over his head again, causing the upper half of his head to disappear in the darkness.

"Well...Evelyn, was it? I want to introduce you properly. You can call me Shade." Shade said, his voice returning to its normal harshness. His hidden eyes quickly gave her a once-over to ensure she looked presentable. The blond haired woman might have been studying him under a hateful gaze, but Shade paid her expression little attention. Once the shadow mutant was satisfied that she was acceptable to bring before the Order leader, Shade's eyeless gaze returned to her eyes.

"Short way or long way...? Alright, short way." He said, before giving her a chance to reply. Grabbing her by the hand, Shade dragged her into a nearby shadow before wrapping his arms around her again. After a quick trip through the void, the couple's feet touched the marble slab floor of the Sanctuary's foyer. Dragging Evelyn out of the shadow with him, Shade quickly made his way to the front desk.

"Good morning Shad-"

"Good morning Lisa, is Syn in? I have a guest that would love to meet her." Shade said, cutting off the secretary.

As she watched the mutant nearly disappear in the hood of his jacket, Evelyn once again confirmed what she knew about his mutation. He needed the darkness to disappear, and the hoodie provided a small amount of that, and protection from the light. If she were his enemy, she would store this information to be used against him. Surely, light would harm him, and if nothing else, his slight albinism. Maybe it was his driving that put that small thought in her mind, and the small desire to get back at him. But other than her brains, she had nothing to battle with. That wasn't something you could really take to a knife fight.

"Evelyn is correct." Was all she managed to say, finally getting a name for the stranger. Shade. Strangely fitting. As he murmured about how to get there, Evelyn didn't get a moment to reply as she was pulled into the shadows and yanked into Shade's arms. It wasn't really like an embrace at all. It was like being dragged through a shadow. It felt like it should be mass-less, but the firm hold of the mutant pulled her through that blissful place of teleportation where she found the silence she never had a chance to enjoy. She was rather steady on her feet as they made it to the foyer, and she managed to look as dignified as possible getting pulled along by the mutant.

[Marble floor, sign of wealth and class. Elegant location or trying to give the appearance of elegance. Secretary, well known, less respected by students likely.] She was watching for signs of irritation from the woman that would show how she regarded students here, but was also trying to pay attention to the conversation.

Taking a leisurely stroll through Sanctuary, Syn was making her way around ensuring mutants were comfortable and happy. Many would give positive replies while some were a little less enthusiastic as they were new to their accommodations. Every once in awhile a mutant or two would thank the goth princess. These tended to be some of the younger and more elderly mutants who had been brought into Sanctuary.

As the dark angel was talking with some younger residents her cell buzzed for an incoming message from Lisa. Shade at front desk with “guest” was the brief message. Placing the device back in her pocket Syn politely excused herself from the young ones and made her way to Lisa’s desk.

Syn wondered what sort of guest Shade had brought with him. Knowing the things she did about the shadow man numerous possibilities ran through her head. None of which matched what met her emerald gaze as she approached.

Next to Shade’s usual hooded self stood a female. She wasn’t the type of female Syn imagined Shade might find interest in as the woman was almost his opposite as far as color schemes went. This new person outshone Shade as if it were a movie and this woman was an angelic being. Syn immediately became intrigued by this.

“Hello Shade! I see you’ve brought someone with you.” Syn was being genuinely polite as she had no idea what the story was with this woman in white. “What is your name my dear?” Awaiting the reply Syn examined the newcomer.

Although any "normal" secretary would have shown signs of irritation at the shadow mutant's blatant interruption, the perfect Lisa (almost too perfect, in Shade's opinion) merely nodded before saying she would contact her. Shade gave Evelyn a glance, wondering what her thoughts of the creepily good secretary were as she was obviously analyzing everything behind those blue/ grey eyes. Lisa quickly thumbed a text message to Lady Syn before stating that she would arrive shortly. It was glad to know that the queen of seduction was in.

With the arrival of the dark (and red) haired beauty, Shade's face broke into a genuine smile that lacked the harshness of his usual smirk. He gave his usual nod of respect as she addressed him, his gaze down.

"Lady Syn, nice to see you again, as always. I have brought you someone who I believe can be of great help for us. She has a very unique...ability." Shade said, trying to label Evelyn's skills of observation. He stopped there as the dark queen turned to the blond beside him to introduce herself.

[Secretary unaffected by shadow mutants behavior. Used to actions, or trained to ignore. Behavior almost robotic, too perfect. Toned build, works out. Less common with desk positions.] She wondered what was hidden behind that perfect exterior. Her clothes were well managed, her blond hair well kept but a tendency to work out was something notable. There must be more to this building then met the eye though. She would have to keep an eye out for the clues.

Turning from the blond-haired woman, a different figure appeared, one with dark black hair, accented by red streaks. While still irritated by the transportation and the kidnapping, Evelyn resisted being rude and answered 'Syn's' question. "My name is Evelyn." She said with a flash of what could have been a momentary smile, but she was still taking in the new arrivals appearance.

[Confident, well regarded or at least respected. Takes control of a room when moves, not intimidated by new people or situations? If mutant, powers could be dangerous, confidence comes from ability to have the upper hand.] She tucked information away, and pushed her hair from her face.

"I'd recommend restraining from driving in the future, or at least taking a refreshers course in drivers ed. You cut at least 3 corners far too sharply, ran a red light and several stop signs. Your teleportation may be executed well but you have a lead foot and brake too hard when you're in a vehicle." She grumbled towards Shade. She said it just loud enough Syn could hear if she wanted, and watched for a reaction. Surprise, irritation, laughter: all these things could reveal the nature of a person.

Shade’s tone expressed a sense of pride and accomplishment. It wasn’t hard to tell he thought he had done something good. Syn thought there was always something of an animalistic nature to the man. It was a quality in him that aided Shade in the missions he took on. He was a hunter, even if it was from the shadows.

The woman who introduced herself as Evelyn had a much different tone and it was all directed at Shade. By the white haired woman’s account she had an unpleasant trip before reaching Sanctuary. However, what intrigued Syn more was that this new person had experienced Shade’s talent for moving among the shadows. This led to some questioning.

“A pleasure to meet you my dear Evelyn. You may call me Syn.” Emerald eyes flashed along with a greeting smile before moving to gaze at the always hooded figure. Syn’s tone remained calm and silky. “I’m curious Shade. I didn’t think you had a car or could drive for that matter. I always figured you used other means of travel. I’m also curious as to why you think Miss Evelyn could be of great help.”

The visible part of Shade's face soured at Evelyn's criticism of his driving skill. It was definitely true he was a bad driver in need of much practice. However, the shadow mutant hated having any of his weaknesses brought into the light, especially in front of Lady Syn. Shade's unseen eyes shot Evelyn a fiery gaze that should have left her clothes smoldering. He was almost positive that her abilities would pick up on the small movement of his head, but they were in the presence of Order royalty so he restrained himself from lashing out at the blond. Plus, she would not be able to benefit the Order if she were dead. Turning his unseen gaze to the dark queen, Shade replaced his face with a smile, even if it was somewhat forced.

"Although cars are a very slow means of travel, they can be useful. Like during daylight hours when my abilities are rather hindered." Shade replied with an air of formality, casting a glance at the blond in hopes that she would drop the subject at that.

"Miss Evelyn, here, has a great eye for details. She sees things that other less observant people would miss. I think she should demonstrate." He continued. The last sentence came out hurriedly, as if he wanted Evelyn to prove his point and distract the attention away from his horrible driving skills.

(OOC: Sorry if my future posts are of less quality than usual. I have to rush through them because I have little time on the computer. I will try to keep up my writing ability as best as I can. Thank you for your patience.)

There was something almost sickly sweet about the way Syn spoke. The glint in her eyes, posture and confidences was troublesome to Evelyn, and the echoes quietly hummed in her mind as they tried to process why. The way she addressed Shade was too calm, to collected, and too dangerous. There was something in her manner that screamed of an unknown power. One Evelyn would be all too careful about.

She didn't miss the dark look that crossed Shade's almost completely hidden face. The slight tilt of the head, the movement of the furrow of a brow, the hidden anger and irritation. So, this Syn must be someone he hated being belittled in front of. She wanted to smile, and a flickering thought of revenge crossed her face. But then the attention was back on her and she turned her icy blues to meet Syn's. She gave a slight smile.

"Demonstrate. You act like I'm a show pony." She rolled her eyes, but now there was a more playful glint to her eyes. There was something amusing about getting under someone's skin, and as dangerous as it could be, she felt he deserved it for the way he dragged her here. She could have declined, but then that would take away the opportunity to get the upper foot on this new individual; the challenge was too much to pass up. Her face was calm as she sized up the girl, letting the echoes sift through her mind like sand, clumping in places and fleshing out the general shape of secrets lurking beneath the surface. Then, she read.

"I find my abilities are far from fascinating. It's merely being observant. Posture, eye cues, body language, language patterns; watching for what's revealing and reading the signs. You, for instance, Syn... you're confidence and command of the room suggest you're used to being respected and having people do what you want them to. You're tone is sweet, yet somewhat expectant. Had I to guess, I'd consider your powers to be of the manipulative variety." She watched for more clues. A slight shift of an arm as if reaching for a weapon. A glint in the eyes of a hidden secret. A flicker of powers that would then be suppressed; conversation was part initiation, then the rest was following further clues.

A nod of acknowledgement was given to Shade and his replies, but Syn was focused more on Evelyn now. The woman in white had a spark of feistiness in her. It was a good sign as now Syn knew this would be an interesting meeting.

The brief description of Evelyn’s talent didn’t immediately spark much interest from Syn. Anyone could be observant to some degree or another. Shade was most likely more observant to dark places than most others would pay attention to as well as looking for openings in an opponents defense for him to strike. Syn, on the other hand, was observant to things of a different nature.

Smiling back to Evelyn Syn gave no gesture to confirm nor deny the woman’s guess. “Interesting, but anyone with a decent skill in observing others could probably make a similar statement. Can you go further than the surface my dear?” Syn’s tone remained calm and collected, but she was giving the new female a slight push. She wanted to see if Evelyn could do more.

It was interesting for Shade to watch the exchange between the two women as they tries to discover what the other was thinking, much in the same way Shade and Evelyn had played their play in the coffee shop, only hours before. Evelyn's abilities were a great ally to her, but Lady Syn had an excellent way of getting under someone's skin. It was weird to think that even after all the time Shade had spent at the Sanctuary, he did not even know what abilities the dark queen possessed. His only clue was from the night he had accidentally 'jumped' into Lady Syn's closet. She had literally thrown him out of her room after making him feel terrified beyond belief. He had been so frightened that he literally had had trouble walking back to his room that night. He never knew how she had done it, but Shade had learned never to anger her again. It was better to appease her every wish than to feel that terror again.

Now, that Evelyn stated the fact that the dark queen's power were linked to manipulation, Shade's eyes were suddenly opened to why and how the Order was able to operate so smoothly. It also made sense as to how the dark haired woman had managed to secure herself atop of the mutant organization and why so many followers were devoted to her, even to death. Lady Syn had been using the members (more or less) to do her bidding. She was even so good as to make the members think that they were doing it of their own free will. Would the others be so devoted to the cause of mutant supremacy if Lady Syn was not tugging at their strings? It was an interest question for Shade to ponder on later and a piece of evidence to fuel Shade's sinister plot.

When Lady Syn rejected Evelyn's original statement due to classic observation, Shade lowered his head and shifted his weight back slightly, a sign that he was not pleased by Evelyn's performance and submissive to the dark queen's wishes. He had been trying to win Lady Syn's favor back again by bringing her a gift. However, Evelyn was not performing up to standards. Even she needed a light push...

"Lady Syn, I assure you she can." Shade said, nudging the blond slightly. His new tool was not performing like she was supposed to.

Evelyn felt a small surge of emotions flicker through her as Syn dismissed her echoes as 'surface level'. Of course they were surface level, the two of them had just met and there was little to really point out much about the girl. She was manipulative, powerful, but her powers had to be something that wasn't easily seen. There were no scales or fur or feathers. She wasn't wearing anything that would give any clues, no paint stains, no dust along the bottom of an outfit... In fact, the general lack of visible clues was a little on the unnerving side. Just like the general lack of information about this building was unnerving.

Sometimes the things you didn't see were as important as the things you did.

Evelyn straightened her posture, and tried to ignore Shade's discomfort and general fear of the woman. There was no real sign why he was afraid of her; in fact, part of his echoes gave off a level of confusion. The echoes pieced things together bit by bit, listening to the movement, reading, analyzing; Shade was afraid of her, she was manipulative, he was distrustful of her, but his behavior suggested he didn't know why.

As the echoes rolled together, she felt her mouth open, and she gave her assessment.

"You have the ability to control people, without them knowing that you do it. You make people want to listen to you, obey... a dangerous level of persuasion. You, like this building, however, give off no initial signs for someone to worry. You keep everything golden and glossed up and pretty on the inside. But I'm guessing this building, like yourself, has a darker undertone. A place where people can just 'be themselves'? That's the cover of the brochure. You're highly efficient secretary, your cleverly hidden rebuilding, still evident in a few places if someone looks close enough; that's all for show.

"you're likely overseen by a larger force, one you're involved with. One, I am quite certain your lovely secretary is aware of and she gets to keep her job because she's good at keeping silent about it. While you're school is about 'Sanctuary', you're likely overseen by a more... supremist viewpoint. But the little people don't need to know that do they? They just need to see what's on the surface." She wondered if she had said too much, or two little, but one thing was sure, she had taken this challenge personally. She may have been dragged here unwillingly, but no one was going to stand her out like a new toy, then complain she wasn't good enough.

Dismissing Shade’s gestures and statement Syn was focused more on the woman in white. This new person intrigued Syn. The challenge to do more received the desired response as the woman replied in an almost flustered manner. This alone made Syn smirk.

Evelyn’s reply was much more detailed than her first attempt at showing Syn her talent. Much more impressive indeed. The only reaction from the dark woman was a subtle smile. “You’re a very interesting woman Evelyn. I could see talking with you being very entertaining and perhaps we shall talk about things sometime.”

Syn changed the subject. “Did you have anything you wanted to know my dear?”

((Permission granted to skip Shade))

The irritation gradually faded and Evelyn adjusted her stance a little. Syn was good at what she did, that was evident by her calm reaction. The smile seemed genuine enough though, perhaps a little dark. The crafty female was someone Evelyn would do well not to cross in the future, if her initial interactions were worth noting. There was something dangerous about someone who could keep their emotions in check.

Slowly, Evelyn shook her head, and pushed her hair from her face. Anything she wanted to know? It was a broad enough question, but her curiosity at this moment was replaced by a level of trepidation. It took a bit to make her shy from having questions answered. Being kidnapped and in a strange place certainly was doing that to her though. "Not really. While I respect your...hospitality, and I'm sure you have a fine place here, I really can't stay long or Jensen will grow concerned. If he isn't already..." There was that oh so subtle hint someone would miss her if she was gone, just in case things hit a sour note. It was like watching the dealer in a game of black jack. They had an ace up, you had a twenty and you decide not to take the insurance. Should the cards turn and any number higher than ten revealed, she would loose. Dancing on dangerous ground...

The adrenaline rush was not a pleasant one.