It was about a week after the riots, and New York was finally starting to look normal again. Roads were getting repaired, stores reopened, and Evelyn took the opportunity to explore the mall on her day off from work. After loosing some of her belongings during the riots, and having half her clothes damaged in the scuffles that resulted, it seemed like a good day to shop, so she caught a taxi into the city and tried to relax.

It felt odd, living at the Mansion now. No Jensen, on her own, and trying her best to figure out where the future went from here. She was trying to take self-defense lessons in her free time, but that had resulted in more problems than solutions it seemed. Perhaps it would just take time.

Time just seemed to be something there was never enough of though.

Evelyn started her shopping trip in a few of the higher end clothing stores, buying some jeans and t-shirts to replace the ones that were damaged in her wardrobe. While she usually went with second hand options, the sale rack was generous and she felt less guilty about splurging a little. A new hat and some gloves later, she wandered on to the next store, bag tucked lightly on her arm. The high priced tank tops weren't worth the price, and she resisted getting anymore skirts, dismissing most of the clothing options. Another store down, she picked out some shoes, browsed some jewelry, then found herself drawn to a music store in the middle of the mall. Most of the patrons here were busy listening to music or browsing, so it was audibly quiet, but the echoes had plenty to say. Quiet was always relative for her.

Adjusting her purchases on her arm, she wandered the aisles and skimmed the titles, looking for anything new she might like to listen to. Music was one thing she enjoyed, but it took a bit more effort than art to appreciate. A good movie soundtrack was hard to get into when the echoes were busy commenting on things like key changes, and identifying instruments in the various solos. While she seemed like a classical person, rock music moved faster and allowed her to enjoy the sounds more without interruption. She flicked through some of her favorites (Within Temptation, Eluveitie) and paused, reading the title tracks on one of the new releases. She recognized one or two, but nothing stood out immediately. While she considered the new titles, the echoes noted another figure entering the business, and she glanced up momentarily to see who it was. Recognition flickered across her face moments later, and she slowly blinked in surprise.

Shopping had suddenly got more interesting.

Music had always been a big part of Syn’s life. It helped calm her down as well as charge her up when needed. Sometimes she would just spend hours in her room listening to both the radio as well as CD’s she had of her favorite bands. It was her escape from the world any time she wanted it.

The only bad thing about music was that she always wanted to get more of it. It got tiring listening to the same CD’s all the time. Normally her solution to this problem was to just listen to the radio more, but then she’d hear something she liked and would want to have it for whenever she wanted to hear a specific song again.

So on this day Syn decided to go to the mall for some new music.

She paid little attention to the humans as they shuffled about even though she knew they gave her looks simply for her appearance. Syn knew even if she were a human she would still get looks because of her particular style. Thoughts of having the ability to make their pathetic minds explode passed through her own mind and made her smile, which probably received more odd looks.

Entering the music store the goth goddess strolled in with her usual air of superiority. Making her way to the rock music section she scanned around at the people in the store. Some were dressed similarly to herself while others wore more normal clothing. Nothing stood out until she spotted the unmistakable near white hair and pale skin belonging to…”Greetings Evelyn! How delightful to see you again.”

The dark haired female's voice was pleasant, as always, and that unmistakable confidence echoed off every movement. Evelyn gave a calm smile, and pushed her hair back behind her ear. "Hello Syn. You look like you're doing well." She remarked politely, and let the cd she was holding drop back against the stack. She glanced back down at the rack, but her concentration had shifted to the woman next to her.

Their last encounter had been...tense, at best, and she still regarded Syn as someone to be cautious of. Evelyn didn't know what exactly her abilities were, but she was curious to find out. Evelyn wasn't a natural fearful person. She had wandered into the sewers chasing monsters without batting an eye. But give her something the echoes couldn't read, and then you unnerved her. Yet, it also sparked her curiosity. What were Syn's abilities, exactly? What was really happening at the sanctuary? If she were wise, she would probably leave and pretend she hadn't heard the girl. But Evelyn wasn't always wise, just a bit too observant.

"Glad things have cleared up in the city. Finally able to get out and do some shopping." She said conversationally. Around her, the room had thinned a little, and no one was really near enough to interrupt their conversation. It could be for the better, or the worse; the echoes couldn't tell yet, so they settled into trying to figure out how many circles were on the cover of the cd she was holding.

Thumbing through some CD’s herself Syn kept her attention on her entire surroundings, though Evelyn received a bit more than the man at the cash register. Was snow white here by herself or was her huntsman nearby? Syn recalled their last meeting and Evelyn mentioning someone named Jensen.

“Indeed I am. You seem to be fairing rather well yourself by the look of your appearance as well as your new purchases.” The bags were noted when Syn had turned down the same aisle as Evelyn.

If the woman was still nervous she was doing a better job of hiding it this go round. There was a slight sense of it but Syn would naturally have to test that to find out for sure. “Shopping by yourself? Finding anything interesting?”

Evelyn gave a glance to her bags, although the echoes combined with her memory left nothing new to be seen from the action. She could tell by the pressure on her arms they were still there, and see the memories in her head that reminded her exactly what she had got. Still, it was reflexive, and she gave a slight shrug of her shoulders in response to Syn's statement. "Fair enough. Lost a few things during the riots but at least clothes are easy enough to replace."

The next remark brought a flicker of sadness across Evelyn's face, but she quickly twisted it into a smile. Shopping alone wasn't exactly what Syn seemed to be digging for; the location of her bodyguard seemed the likelier subject of interest. Loosing Jensen had been bitter sweet, but admitting her disappointment to Syn didn't seem advisable. She did her best to steer the conversation elsewhere instead, "I don't think anyone would really enjoy clothes shopping with me. Nothing interesting, a few sales perhaps."

She shifted her bags, and looked back down at the cd in her hands, skimming the track list. Without looking up, she continued. "How about you? Finding what you're looking for?" She motioned to the racks of cds. The cashier had ducked behind the counter to fish for receipt paper, and the echoes noted another patron somewhere in the country music section.

After her last question the Dark Queen had turned to watch Evelyn’s reactions. In general the near white haired woman kept up as much of a normal appearance as possible, but there was a slight ripple. A nerve that was still exposed and yet it was covered up quickly. A sore that was being hidden from view until it healed. We’ll come back to that later.

“That’s too bad. It’s always nice to find new things lest everything becomes mundane. As for myself, I’m always looking for new things.” This was less a reference to searching for new items as much as to finding new talent. “If something catches my eye then I’ll take a closer look.”

New things...

The phrase stood out, and Evelyn felt it would have been noticeable with or without her echoes emphasizing it. Evelyn was something new to Syn, and Syn was keeping a close watch on her. The incident at the sanctuary felt so long ago, but the memories still drifted through her mind from time to time. She had been bold in her analysis about the mutant haven, and it's underlying power structure. It was an auction that had been impressive, but in the end she wondered if it was damaging. She didn't know how Syn controlled people, or the real extent of her abilities. Until she did, she was careful not to cross the dark haired female. Evelyn had a tendency to be naive from time to time, but she tried her best never to be stupid.

"I enjoy new things from time to time. I like solving a good mystery, putting together puzzles... sometimes these trips to the store don't reveal much excitement direction through what I purchase, but the people I meet or socialize with can make it worthwhile." She mused, and gave a slight smile. She shifted down the row, flipping and looking at what Nightwish cds they had in stock. She glanced at syn, momentarily wondering what the missing pieces to this puzzle were. If she could understand the girl, she would feel less skittish. She didn't like the feeling of discomfort she was unaccustomed to. She followed sewer monsters, found childhood television characters and a number of other things with the x-men. Fear wasn't something she typically felt.

Caution wasn't something she typically had either, but that was settling in now. She wasn't afraid, yet. But she was careful.

“Wonderful! I’m so glad you have a similar view.” Syn smiled genuinely as she caught Evelyn’s glance. She had a feeling the white haired woman wanted to know something more. Best guess would be that Evelyn was curious about the Dark Queen. Possibly as to why she was taking such interest in the other female, or it might be another topic. Further interaction was definitely called for.

“Puzzles can be fun as well as interesting once you see how the pieces fit together. On occasion they can be very difficult to figure out, but with a little motivation all things can be worked out.” So many insinuations in her words, yet Syn was serious about every one of them whether her new friend knew it or not was another matter.

Flipping through a few CD’s herself Syn changed the topic to a more normal subject. May as well start at the beginning. “Tell me more about yourself my dear.”

There was a lot of meaning behind Syn's words, but it was hard to make out exactly what Syn was trying to get across at first. Did she regard herself as the puzzle perhaps? How did she fit into the Sanctuary's power structure? How did her powers allow her to influence people? Perhaps she believed Evelyn could sort it all out. Perhaps she thought Evelyn just needed the motivation. The echoes flickered, trying to piece it all together through the woman's body language and verbal implications. In a way though, she felt like her own personal emotions were making the read a little murky.

Being wrong was normally an inconvenience. She wasn't sure the consequences in this case.

Evelyn ran a thumb along the plastic of a cd, and shrugged her shoulders to her companion. "I'm afraid I'm not exactly a fascinating individual. I enjoy art, spend most of my time at museums or other similar venues. Broadway is always a treat, especially when the right cast is involved. I could watch the Lion King a hundred times and never get bored of it." Watching shows in the city was expensive, so there was a small hint that she was fairly wealthy. If it wasn't already evident by her dress and some of the clothes she purchased.

"What do you do for fun?" She inquired. "Other than solve puzzles and meet new people..." She ventured.

It was delightful nearly seeing the wheels turn in Evelyn’s mind. Syn loved when she could make people think. It was almost as fun as getting other reactions from them. If one could get another to think on a subject then it was a good chance of opening their eyes to other things in the world than what they assumed was proper. At the core of things this was what Syn strived for, especially for mutants who only see things in one shade.

Listening to Evelyn’s description of herself almost made Syn frown. Shaking her head slightly she stepped closer to get full attention and looked directly at the woman. “Why downplay yourself so? How could you not think much of yourself? Those things you enjoy are wonderful, but you as yourself are interesting. You’re unique in this world and your existence only makes it better.” Syn’s eyes narrowed slightly but only to show she was being serious and not fooling around. She wasn’t trying to intimidate Evelyn. “You have a talent that most others have no clue about. You can tell more things about a person by the way you perceive them than most others can. That makes you special. You should never think of yourself as unfascinating.”

Stepping back again the goth princess flipped through more CD’s while she let her words sink in for a moment. “As to your question, meeting new people and solving puzzles is what I do for fun.” A wink shot in the white haired woman’s direction.

Syn's response to Evelyn's statement took her by surprise, the echoes flickering slightly in shock. There had been little warning the dark haired woman would respond as she had, but Evelyn was forced to mentally backpedal and asses what had been said. Syn honestly believed Evelyn was... special? Fascinating? It was clear in her facial expressions, her posture, her movement. While initially, Evelyn had been a bit intimidated by the female, she was starting to see something new. Syn, as dangerous as she might be, had a strong view of her fellow mutants. A positive one, in it's own way.

"I... I guess so few people seem to share your viewpoint, I've felt more inclined to share their own. My mutation was always something to 'cure'. 'Talent' is a term I've only recently started to embrace." She shrugged, and pushed her hair from her face.

She caught the wink, and chuckled slightly, shaking her head as her shoulders relaxed a bit. "Fair enough."

The tactic worked beautifully. You didn’t have to have special abilities to see Evelyn’s reaction to Syn. The words from the Dark Queen had broken through and had begun their mission of opening the woman’s mind. To compliment the reaction Syn gave a warm smile and slight nod.

“I can tell, but you’re not alone. I’ve met others who either felt out of place or who submitted their own self images to what others perceived in order to get by. There’s nothing to cure you of that’s not a natural part of you. All you need to do is learn to embrace it and nourish it. Let yourself be special and don’t worry about trying to fit in.” Syn’s hands gestured to some of the other patrons in the store.

Another gesture came but this time it was referring to the white and dark haired ladies. Syn’s voice was only loud enough for the two of them to hear. “We are the future of this world. We can achieve great things with all of our talents working together. Not everyone shares this view or they have their own twisted version of it. Yet I continue to strive to unite mutants. You don’t have to feel out of place Evelyn.”

Evelyn caught the pleased expression that seemed to cross Syn's features. She still had a friendly smile, but Evelyn couldn't help but wonder if she had fallen for exactly the sort of verbal trap she tried to avoid. Her brain processed the emotions of caution, flattery, and curiosity so fast, she would have been surprised if the dark haired girl caught any of it. But those little doubts were still there, even when she responded in a friendly enough way.

"Working together, uniting mutants. While I heard that sales pitch for the Sanctuary, I've seen less... pleasant ways in which it could be executed. Considering how little I've managed to sort out about what group you fall into, I hope you won't find me rude by being a little more on the cautious sides of things." A more serious tone slipped into the conversation, and Evelyn flipped over an Evanescence CD and compared the price with another nearby title.

"I appreciate your sentiments. I do. And in many ways, I wish it could be that easy. I've seen the shades of grey that people use to separate themselves. The world seems much different to me than some of my peers. Yet, I've had people who had ideas of what my powers could be used for. And I don't like being treated like a trinket to be collected. The future... Perhaps we are the future. But the problem with the future, is it's something very hard to control or predict." Her voice was quiet, and the echoes followed the last patron up to the front counter. Unless he had super human, there was no way he could catch even the faintest whisper. At most, he would hear a few women discussing being mutants, and that ability would connect him with them, if nothing else. So she was not particularly concerned about being overheard.

Evelyn set the cds down and looked at her companion. Her expression was firmly neutral. While she was flattered by the woman's remarks, she had her own reasons for being careful. Even if Syn didn't make her nervous. Even if Shade hadn't tried to kidnap her and even if she had doubts about the Sanctuary. She knew what her powers could do if she used them wrong.

"In another life, Mr. Holmes, you would have made a excellent criminal."

She may live with the x-men, but her level of understanding of other mutants often made her wonder if she really could fit in with their lifestyle. She wanted to be good. She wanted to do something positive with her powers. But she often found herself relating to the other side. That perhaps made her more nervous than the dark haired woman herself. "Maybe, in my own way, I feel a little more comfortable feeling out of place. It lets me question who I am ,and lets me decide before someone decides for me."

A new smile slipped across Syn’s lips. One that said Okay, you’ve been around a little, but you don’t know all and I’m not giving up yet. Nodding to the woman’s replies Syn didn’t miss a beat and continued. “You’d be a fool not to be cautious. Trust has to be gained and not forced.”

Syn squared herself off with Evelyn now. Her voice was still her usual sweet calm tone, but just as Evelyn had done she added seriousness to it. “I’m sure there have been people who tried to control you. Many of us have gone through that. I only encourage my fellow mutants to use their talents in such ways as to prevent us from being controlled and work towards betterment. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows when you’re trying to ensure survival. Not everyone agrees with the same ideas and so they split off in their own directions.”

Evelyn wasn't sure what to make of Syn's expression. It wasn't disappointed, there was a flicker that almost looked offended, but mostly the returned expression was challenging. Determined. Syn was someone who wasn't deterred by rejection, and Evelyn's cautious nature didn't seem to bother her. She was good at keeping her cards close to her chest, and even the echoes had a little trouble finding the subtle body language hidden by the contained female.

[Gets what she wants. Confident.]

That little reminder of Syn's abilities moved through her mind, keeping her from becoming too comfortable with the situation. She wasn't going to be won over by just pretty words. But acting without a full understanding of the situation was even less advisable.

"What about you? How would you handle someone disagreeing with you?" Evelyn responded finally. She let her eyes lift from the cd in her hands and she kept her expression blank. No sign of challenge, no sign o fear. A simple question, one she doubted she'd get a straight answer to.