The office was stuffy and cramped, nothing like the one she’d held back in L.A. The wall paper was yellowed and peeling, the window frosted, and the waste paper basked overflowing. Lana had managed to smuggle in a small potted plant, but with the lack of sunlight she realized she might have to settle for fake greenery this time around. The air tasted like mildew. She couldn’t help but wonder if the entire thing had been orchestrated to assert the facility pecking order. The head doctor- Doctor Smith- had been quite interested through the whole phone interviewing process. A little less so, when he’d seen Lana in person.

“You’re the Lana who wrote the dissertation on the role of the x-gene in the criminally insane?” he’d asked, quite gobsmacked. Smith was in his early 60 with salt and pepper hair. He’d been head of this facility for 15 years. “It’s really you- I mean?”

Lana sighed and held up her ID badge for Smith to scrutinize. It was not a question out of reverence or being impressed. Dr. Smith was falling into the pile that so many others always did- pegging Lana based on her looks. With her porcelain skin, and smattering of freckles, her angular jaw, and her doe eyes- this happened a lot.

“Yes that was me. “ she had bobbed her head, trying not to seem annoyed. “I know I look a bit young-“ she had decided to just jump right in and get that out the way. It backfired.

“You look like you could be going to school with my daughter.” Frowned Smith. It was too late for him to re-think this. The contract had been signed. He handed back the ID card, flustered, and began to jump into the institutions protocol and history.

The rest of the introduction had been more or less of the same. Lana always faced this sort of reaction when starting somewhere new. Employers always worried her looks were indicative of her skills. In reality, she used her young appearance as a way to disarm people and make them feel comfortable, or cocky. Whichever produced a result.

Lana didn’t think she actually looked that young, but then again she had a ghost sister frozen in a teenage shape to compare herself with every day. Lana had noticed the beginnings of crow’s feet near her eyes. It was hard to tell if they were from the normal process of aging, or simply lack of sleep. She didn’t sleep well, and she hoped the burly inmate currently across from her wasn’t picking up on it. After leaving Dr. Smith, she’d been assigned her first inmate instantly. Possibly a test, possibly an initiation. Or maybe she was overt thinking things again. That’s what she was doing now, interviewing her first inmate and reflecting on her earlier experience with the doctor.

Edward was doing life in the institution for murdering his wife. He was a hefty man at 48 years old, balding, and had a bit of a static energy mutation. Lana had been briefed not to have any loose metallic objects out on her desk. A pen would float up and stick to him. Edward had tried at first to convince the jury that a knife on the kitchen counter became charged and then airborne and stuck to him. Of course, the knife went through his wife to get to him- thanks to the charge. The coroner’s office proved within a shadow of a doubt, that the stab wounds were caused by a left-handed heavy person, and his DNA had been all over it. Edward and his defence attorney convinced the jury he’d been driven mad by the annoyance of his mutation. And here Edward was.

“It’s like, frustrating. I just always feel so charged. And I get shocks whenever I touch anything.” Edward explained, reaching a cuffed hand up to scratch at his face. His cuffs were heavy duty plastic.
Lana watched him, drinking in all the details of the man. It was if he was trying to show her personality ticks, trying to appear nervous and paranoid, forced. She’d picked up on it instantly. Had Dr. Smith known she would? Or once again was she noticing things others were simply too lazy or unwilling to see?

“… and that is stressful to you?” asked Lana, making a note in her book. “I understand the staff have been quite accommodating in making sure there is nothing metallic around you that might become charged and stick to you.” She observed, reading his file. “Acrylic windowed cell, plastic zip ties, cotton blankets, pencils, and paper…”

“They don’t want me to get my hands on anything I can use to hurt anyone with.” Said Edward in a gruff voice. He wriggled his nose, and snorted. The kind of gross sound a man made right before spitting.

“Well, that’s standard for everyone. Not just you.” Remarked Lana. “Can’t have mental patients running around with scissors.”

“It’s not about that- it’s the buzzing, the feel, like electricity is always running across me skin. The anticipation that I’m going to get a shock. You know- that feeling you get when you’re going to touch the door after walking across the carpet in your socks.” Added Edward, miming with his hands for added effect.

“I’m familiar with electric based mutations, Edward. Now, let’s talk about your wife.” Said Lana trying to redirect, and watching for his reactions. He’d have planned reactions, but people gave things away they didn’t intend to. They always did.

“Rough business, that.” Answered Edward after a beat of silence. He lifted his cuffed hands- that were attached to a small, thick rubber rope, shackled to the chair- and rubbed the back of his neck. His left eye twitched, and his lip pulled down slightly. “I really loved Anna.” He said it in such a detached way, like Anna was an object he had to give up in order to get something he wanted.

“…but you killed her. That’s not love.” Said Lana without missing a moment.

“I wasn’t in a right state of mind. The charge- it drove me insane. That’s why I’m here. To get help.” It was a speech Edward has rehearsed and given 100 times.

“…and we will give you help.” Replied Lana. “but you are here for life.”

“Not unless you cure me.” Said Edward, quick as a whip. Ah, the end game presents its ugly head.

“Is that your goal here Edward? Tell the doctors what they want to hear, behave well, and you can claim to be ‘cured’ in a few years? Get out with an outgoing treatment plan?” Lana narrowed her eyes but otherwise kept all emotion out of her face. Edward shrugged.

“They say you’re one of the best, for people like me. Maybe you can cure me doc. Uh, help me learn to control my mutation, and ya know, come to terms with everything I did.” He gave her a half crooked smile.

Lana pressed a button on her desk that would page the orderlies, to let them know she was finished and they could come and retrieve Edward. “There’s no cure for what you are, Edward. You’re not a man who was driven mad by is condition, with the hope of changing. You’re a psychopath using an excuse. Plain and simple.” Lana was cold and assertive in her assessment. Matter-o-fact.

Edward’s eyes widened in shock. He was rendered speechless for a moment. “Why you Fuc-“ he began just as the orderlies arrived and restrained him.

“Back in your seat, Eddy.”

…

Lana had just finished writing her report and recommendations on Edward when Laura appeared. “You made the right call on that one.” She said.

“I know.” Replied Lana.

“Do you?” asked Laura. “While you were working I took the liberty of looking up his old address over your shoulder. I went to see his wife. Her spirit is still anchored to the house- poor thing.”

Lana raised an eyebrow. “My files are confidential.” Laura was the only spirit Lana knew that could come and go freely. All spirits seemed to be anchored to a place or a location. They might drift in and out, but they were still stuck there.

Lana shrugged and Laura continued. “The poor thing can’t move on until Eddy there pays for his crimes. Apparently the spirit world does not consider him being in a mental hospital payment enough. She’s anchored there til he pays or he dies.” Laura explained. Laura- Lana’s dead sister, had been adapted in her living time on Earth. Her cancellation of powers kept Lana from knowing she was a mutant. It wasn’t until Laura died that Lana began to see dead people, like the kid in that movie. The irony wasn’t lost on her. Of course, it wasn’t until a few years later that Lana learned she wasn’t insane, but a mutant. Some days she wasn’t sure.

“ I can’t kill him.” Said Lana in annoyed tone. “And the time has passed; he won’t get a new trial. There’s no chance of him getting the death penalty. But I don’t think he’s mentally ill in the slightest. I think he’s cunning. And manipulative. I think Dr. Smith knows that too and wanted to see how quickly I’d pick up on it. ”

“Oh, there’s a shocker.” Said Laura, dripping with sarcasm. “Eddy’s wife said he was abusive all along. What if I could get you proof? Do you think it would be enough to re-open the case?” Despite the fact Laura couldn’t physically touch or move anything, Lana knew citing her ghost sister as a witness wouldn’t help any case. Unless it was one to get herself institutionalized again.

Lana sighed and massaged her temples. “Laura, I am spending half of my time here, a quarter with the NYPD, and a quarter with the FBI. I don’t have time to go gallivanting off like a super hero. My report is going to strongly suggest that he be dealt with much more cautiously and have his freedoms revoked. He needs higher protocol, and believe me, this will be punishment. His files already show the previous doctor had reservations about his potential mental state. This should be enough now- and maybe after one more session- to change everything. But that’s all I can do.” She rummaged around her desk. “I still have to find a roommate, I’m not even unpacked, we’re only a few hours into my first day here!”

Lana sighed again, leaning back in her chair, while Laura floated and pouted. “He’s not crazy. He’s just a psychopath. Just like you said.” Lana nodded. “He should pay.”

“That’s not up to us to decide.” Lana put her head in her hands and when she looked up- Laura was gone. That happened frequently.

Lana put the notebook containing her observations on Eddy, in his file, and took out her own well-worn black ringed note book. She’d had the notebook for 12 years, and every time Laura made an appearance she recorded when and how long. Laura had commented on it once before, and Lana wouldn’t speak or acknowledge her for a week. So Laura didn’t bring it up again. Lana kept a careful eye on how often she saw spirits, especially her sister. Sometimes she’d pull out the folded health report from the back of the note book- the one that said she was a mutant- and read it. She needed the validation some days.

After scribbling the date and time in the book, she snapped it shut and dropped it into her combination briefcase. All psychologists have their own mentors, doctors the doctors could speak to- and Lana was no different. Her mentor happened to be the man who first discovered she was in fact a mutant. He’d inspired her to become the clinician she was today. He even came to her graduation. But he wouldn’t be happy to know she was still keeping notes on the spirits. He genuinely believed Lana was a mutant, and her spirit seeing was a manifestation of that. Lana wasn’t sure she even believed in spirits or the other side. She couldn’t argue that her genetics showed she had the x-gene, but she did wonder if her mutation was some sort of psychic projection. Perhaps she was just reading minds and projecting what she wanted to see? Or maybe… she really was some sort of wacky mutant medium speaking to ghosts. Either way, keeping the book helped her keep feeling sane.

Lana turned to the computer now to check the online add she’d posted looking for a roommate. There were 3 replies, and she swiftly pranced her fingers across the keyboard to request meetings with all three. The interviewing stage was always the worst- but it made for good profiling practice.

It was time for lunch and she decided that her first lunch on the job would be spent in the famous park. Lana had already packed a brown bag and picked it up off the desk along with Edward’s file. She headed out her office door and down the hallway.

The inmates were kept in cells sealed off from the office area. Each area could be quarantined in the case of an emergency or security breach. Lana hoped she wouldn’t be around for anything like that to happen. She was conscious of two spirits as she walked, but neither seemed to pay her any attention. One, a woman in a hospital styled gown, continually rammed herself into the wall soundlessly. Another stood in the corner by the door with his arms crossed, eyes shifting, and back against the wall. They were either not very aware spirits and stuck in their own loop, or they simply hadn’t put together yet that Lana could see them. As long as she didn’t give them any reason to believe she could, they’d likely leave her alone.

Lana rounded the corner and rapped on Dr. Smith’s door. She plastered a smile to her face so he would see it when he opened it. He looked out at her from behind thick glasses; he pushed them up on his head.

 “Ah, well then, Dr. Than, how was the patient?”

“As sane as you or I, and very capable of doing the same thing again if he had the chance.” Replied Lana passing him the file. “But you knew that all ready.”

“Your recommendation?” asked Smith.

“All in the report in the file. Restrict his access, his items, be prepared for some sort of fall out now that he knows he has no chance of leaving.” Explained Lana in her best grown up voice.

Dr. Smith made some sort of incoherent noise and took the file.

“With all due respect sir, that wasn’t much of a test.” Remarked Lana shifting her weight. Smith simply stared at her, curiously.

“We have a pecking order here-“ he began

“As do most facilities. I intend to climb that pecking order, so I expect to be presented with…” Lana searched for the word “…opportunities.” They stared each other down for a moment.

“Very well then, enjoy your lunch break.” Replied Smith. Lana shifted the bag in her arms awkwardly, suddenly feeling very embarrassed by it. She was considering what to say when the door closed in her face.

“Alright then.” She marched off, swiping her security clearance pass at the doors.

…

Once outside the brisk air caught Lana off guard. She knew November would be cold. She’d spent winters in Canada after all, but it had been a while since she’d had to face biting winds. She wondered if she should retreat back to the office, but realized that might mean another run-In with Smith, so she settled on the original plan for the park and pulled her coat a little tighter.

It only took a few minutes to walk there which surprised her- New York was a lot like L.A., people everywhere. But the green space (even if it was a bit brown now) was a welcome site for sore eyes and a nose filled with unfamiliar food truck smells. Lana carefully chose a vacant bench next to a silent fountain that had been turned off for the season, but decorated with little white lights. She picked at the brown paper and looked around. She saw the usual things, couples holding hands, joggers out even in this obscene weather, kids on playdates, guys in suits on phones, and of course- the odd ghost. She applied the same rules she had in the facility and simply did her best to not give herself away.

Lana glanced down at her phone to see if any of her potential roommates had replied, and un-wrapped a sandwich. She looked out through the park as she took a bite, and wondered how many of the people passing by might be a mutant like her....

It was a fairly uneventful week for Evelyn so far. She was back to work, dealing with the repairs at the museum after their mutant fiasco the weeks before. For awhile, the damage looked like it would be un-repairable, but then her boss surprised her by bringing in someone new to help with things.

The mutant had a unique ability: she could repair damaged artwork, sort of like a restoration skill. It looked like it could save the MET, but as they worked with her, the process became more time consuming than that. With Evelyn's echoes, she was able to pick out the problems with their progress. The damage was repaired, but some of the missing 'pieces' weren't. After coming to life, the subjects animated then got scrambled. Bits of paint clung to parts of the museum from the self defense efforts of those involved. Their new staff member had to have ALL pieces of the artwork to restore it, so Evelyn was forced to track, identify, and help get the missing pieces back in place.

It was tedious, and she was mentally drained at the end of the day. At least she was working mornings right now, and she could grab lunch and head back to the mansion. As she moved through the park, she rubbed her forehead and exhaled through her nose. She hoped they could successfully fix the museum. If they couldn't, her memories would continue to haunt her.

The echoes noticed the figure on the bench before Evelyn really took note of her. Eating her lunch, there was something about her that read a little off. Evelyn thought it was familiar, in a way though. She noted the files and the food as she pulled closer, then finally figured out why the motions were familiar. When you had voices in your head you noticed the somewhat awkward behavior of people who heard voices (or dead people, like Clay). She slowed a bit too much though, then realized she was staring at the woman.

Well, that was probably rude.

"Sorry, I just..." She what? She thought the girl acted like she might not just have her own thoughts floating around her? Thought she might be a mutant? Well that was dumb. Her eyes slowly lost their grey color as she focused on shutting off her powers, then realized she had stopped in front of the girl.

Well, that was probably even ruder...

Lana was focusing on a repetitive spirit that simply continued throwing a stick. The grey hazy image of a kid- maybe 17- floated only slightly off the ground. Spirits often did repetitive movements, and as long as Lana was careful with her observations- they wouldn't realize she could see them and would stay in whatever loop they were in. It was only when they saw people like Lana that they became animated again. Lana just continued eating her sandwich wondering if the kid was throwing a stick to some unseen dog. Usually spirits relived something traumatizing but if the kid spent a lot of time in this park with his dog, it made sense for him to be stuck in this loop. She wondered what Laura would think.

A few case files were sprawled on the bench next to her, and Lana picked one up and thumbed through it. She had yet to meet all the Staff at the institution, but would be damned if she didn't know every patient at least a little by the end of the day. Her eyes would glance upward every few minutes, rapidly searching the crowd. Lana couldn't help it, it was a habit. If the spirits she'd been watching disappeared- then Lana knew an adapted human was nearby. She hated to be manipulative but she was getting desperate for a roommate and wasn't above faking a bump into a stranger who happened to be adapted for an excuse to buy them an apology coffee and get to know them. It was really a round-a-bout way when she could simply walk over to a stranger and introduce herself. Lana never could get her head around the direct approach with anyone other than mental patients.

Suddenly a figure interrupted her line of sight, and Lana glanced up while still munching on her food. A woman stood in front of her, and like the good profiler Lana was- she was already making observations. It was habitual.

Lana was taller than the woman, she'd put her at about 5'2" and likely a handful of years younger- unless the girl was like Lana and looked younger than her age. She was pale like Lana and had long hair, but hers was nearly white. The contrast of her skin made her eyes seem a silvery blue. Lana's vision panned out and she took the woman in.

"Sorry, I just..."

Lana smiled at her, unsure what to say, but continuing to make mental observations. This was what Lana had problems with socially. Was she supposed to know how to respond to that? Did normal people respond to that? "You just painting or something?"  asked Lana. "I mean, well I noticed you've got a bit of paint on your hands, and a bit on your shoes, and I thought maybe you work as a painter or in an art gallery or something. I like art galleries." 

Lana smiled at the woman but inside her stomach went into a pit. She knew once the words left her mouth she sounded like an idiot. She could talk to a psychopath and manage to sound smart and controlled, but a stranger in the park through her for a loop. So what does she do? Blurt out the profiling she's doing internally! What a way to meet people and freak them out. She mentally lectured herself.

This was Lana's issue, passing for human. It wasn't because she was a mutant who needed to pretend to be human, it was that she was a messed up psychologist who had to pretend to be normal. She often came off like she had autism or some other communication disorder when it came to first impressions.

Then again, this woman could very well be a ghost who just realized Lana could see her. That would just be a great start to her lunch break....

The conversation took a turn Evelyn hadn't expected. Well, she wasn't sure it was so much a turn as a plunge from awkward to interesting. She was used to being the awkward person, reading people, watching them, unintentionally judging them. But people rarely, if ever, did the same. She met a few observant people, true. Clay and David both seemed to have a knack for that sort of thing. But her own powers were different, and the ways she took in the world were over the top. Piecing together paint on pants and hands would be a natural process for her. Rare, for someone else.

Then there were the motions. The glances at empty spaces, the files she couldn't quite read from here. The echoes buzzed with information, sorting, processing. "I work at the museum. We had a little incident a few weeks back but we've been trying to tidy things up. But I do paint a bit for fun." She babbled, dancing around the subject. The echoes continued to read the woman's facial expressions, the slight tug at the mouth of concern. Her eyes took a turn back to grey and she shook her head. She was rude again.

"I'm sorry, I'm being rude. It's been a long day, I didn't mean to bother you." She flushed with embarrassment.

"I work at the museum. We had a little incident a few weeks back but we've been trying to tidy things up. But I do paint a bit for fun."

Lana smiled at the woman, there was something familiar about her eyes that Lana recognized. She seemed to be a bit awkward like Lana too, which made Lana feel a bit more comfortable and relaxed. She sighed.

"I'm Lana, It's nice to meet you. I'm looking forward to visiting some of the art galleries. I bet it's a nice place to work, quiet." probably a hell of a lot quieter than what Lana would be dealing with in the upcoming weeks. "I uh, I just moved here. Got a lot on my mind I was sort of zoning out." she shrugged. Lana was 28 years old but meeting people like this often made her feel like she was 6 again and trying to make new friends on the playground.

Lana reached down and shuffled her files back into a stack, stuck them in a fabric bag, and pulled the bag aside. "Did you want to sit?"

There was something about the woman. Lana thought she'd noticed her eyes change, and human eyes just didn't change. Lana's eyes changed, as part of her mutation. Whenever she was zeroing in on a spirit or talking to Laura her eyes would cloud over. Was this a sign that this woman had a mutation like her? It could be, but Lana wouldn't know unless she asked. There was that whole social barrier of being rude and all.

"Um, I noticed - or I guess I thought I noticed- that your eyes changed a little bit." admitted Lana, deciding to just come right out with it. She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously, and it fell loose again with the next gust of wind anyway. "I think I noticed because mine do that too." she gave a half grin, focused on a spirit, and knew her eyes would be clouding over. When she stopped, and they cleared, she looked back at the girl with a curious smile.

The echoes continued to read the stranger, bit by bit studying her reactions. She was definitely open to talking, and there was something almost hopeful in her voice. At least, that was what the echoes were noting. She caught that a lot around mutants. When you were different, you fed off of a sense of familiarity, and you picked up on odd traits, pieces of hope. In a way, you could almost gravitate towards a mutant, because they were drawn towards you. Mutants responded almost like magnets, turning towards each other.

"The museum is quiet most of the time, but I'm probably not the best person to be in customer service. I work mostly with the acquisitions and making sure the displays are historically accurate and set up right." She remarked. "I can relate to having a lot on your mind." She added, echoes buzzing and noting different figures walking past. Information drifted back and forth through her mind, a constant stream of information to think through.

Evelyn pulled her attention back to things as the woman offered the seat. She gave a slight smile and sat, then blinked at the strangers suddenly admission. "You're observant. And right. They did change. That happens when my powers are active." She said casually. The stranger was forward enough. It gave her the courage to try the same, especially when she watched her eyes change color.

"So I doubt there is anyway to ask it without being rude: voices, ghosts, telepathy? I'd know that look anywhere. It's like being tuned into a radio signal no one else is." She flashed a slight smile back so hopefully the woman wouldn't think she was trying to insult her. The voices in your head assumption definitely sounded insulting when you weren't careful.

Lana smiled as the woman explained her job. She would have liked to have worked in an art gallery at some point. Maybe in another life. Colourful paintings were often better than colourful personalities. Colourful personalities were over-rated. While she chatted Lana couldn't help herself from noticing other things: what she wore, how she moved, her expressions... things everyone usually sees when they speak, but they don't really see. Lana was trained to see everything- and sometimes she forgot to turn it off.

The woman chatted for a moment, validating that Lana was indeed correct about her eyes. However, she didn't offer up her name, or any details about herself that Lana hadn't already deduced. It made her nervous. Moves like that were often missed by the average person, but Lana saw it as calculated. A choice. She suddenly regretted revealing the fact that she had a mutation so soon, and the pit in her stomach deepened a bit. She'd been forward. That's what she'd been psyching herself up for all day so she could meet the right roommates later.

"So I doubt there is anyway to ask it without being rude: voices, ghosts, telepathy? I'd know that look anywhere. It's like being tuned into a radio signal no one else is."

Lana had expected the question to come, but maybe not so specifically. It caught her a bit off guard and she stared at the woman- wondering if it was too late to be aloof. "Spirits." she said carefully, watching the woman for a reaction. "I try not to let on that I'm seeing them, otherwise they'll bother me." she added.

Lana picked up her sandwich and took another bite, looking out past the woman to see if any of the spirits had indeed realized anything about her yet. They all seemed stuck in their loops, and Lana's eyes faded to normal. "It helps in my work. I'm a criminal psychologist and profiler consultant." well if this lady had anything suspicious about her, chances were a statement like that would scare her off or at least slip her up. "I work over there." she pointed in the direction of the well known institution for the criminally insane.

Reading someone who was reading you was always an interesting experience. It was a hall of mirrors to navigate through and decipher, and each turn you took revealed more about the path, and more about yourself. She was fairly reserved as a person, and knew exactly what people could read if they were looking, so she tended to keep her own body language guarded. But no one was perfect. There was always little slips that could show. That's what she relied on. She saw it now as the faint concern started to leak though. They were direct, perhaps too direct. Most people started with names and introductions. They cut straight to the chase.

Maybe that was a silly thing to do. She was mentally second guessing it as well now.

Reading people while they read you...

>>"Spirits"

Evelyn nodded with a slight smile. The echoes had been leaning that way. Clay acted much like she did, and people who saw ghosts seemed to always look in empty spaces, rather than at people or things. Next time, she should just guess. That would definitely throw someone off their game.

"I figured as much. I have a friend who talks to ghosts. Although his eyes don't give it away. Well, he doesn't really have eyes... Or skin for that matter..." Well if that wasn't an unnerving image, she didn't know what was. She quickly corrected herself. "He's sort of a walking skeleton. He does detective work. I guess that seems to be a think." She remarked.

The stranger noted her job and Evelyn wasn't surprised. She'd probably have taken up a similar profession if she had gone to college of something, rather than just working at the museum. Her family would have hated the attention anyway. "Profiling has always interested me. You can read a lot from people without saying much." The echoes took that ability and amplified it. She wondered what she could have done if she had worked to just study behavior. The idea was appealing in a way.

"I guess most people would have exchanged names by now, wouldn't they? I've always had awful tact, you'll have to excuse me. I'm Evelyn. Resident know-it-all at for the Met. I got the voices end of the deal, you could say. Although I do like the term hyper awareness. It sounds less freaky." She chuckled slightly.

Lana relaxed a bit more as Evelyn introduced herself, and soon it all began to make sense. "Wow I'm a bit relieved to hear that actually." she explained. "I'm not usually great with first impressions, but I'm also not usually this bad." she gave a nervous laugh. "Hyper-awareness huh? You'd make a GREAT profiler." Lana beamed at her. "A skeleton friend eh? That would be a first for me. I hope the poor guy is a mutant... otherwise.." she was trying to make a joke but not entirely sure it was working. "I wonder if I'll run into him. I've been set up to consult for both the FBI and the NYPD." she explained. Lana was always so socially awkward. But then people would always end up surprised when they actually saw her speak to a criminal. It was like everything converged inside her and she had infinite focus.

Lana patted the spot next to her. "Feel free to sit down if you like, it's always nice to meet fellow mutants, but very rare for me to meet someone so observant. What an interesting mutation." Now Lana felt like a normal person having a conversation, instead of a crazy person trying to fake it. "This is actually my first day on the job. I've been in the city for two days but I'm not really settled yet. Just got my apartment over on 5th. Coming in from L.A., but originally Toronto.  You think I'd be used to the cold but I guess L.A. spoiled me a bit. "Lana had a habit of rambling a bit- narrating her inner thoughts in place of regular speaking. "Are you a New Yorker or somewhere else?" she inquired. Lana's own accent was a bit muddled, and she really did look very stereo typically Irish. They wasn't much of her father's colouring in her besides her almost red eyes. Of course, she got her strong angular physique from him.

The compliment made Evelyn smile in return, and she felt slight color cover her cheeks for a moment. "I suppose with practice I might have more luck with it, but the echoes have a tendency to focus on everything. I've had them analyze bird poop once, but I've been working on directing them better so that's been nice." She realized it probably sounded odd regarding her powers as a 'they'. But in many ways, the echoes were somewhat separate from her. They didn't always follow her own thought patterns and emotions, so it felt like she was sharing her head with someone super analytically. She wondered what that would sound like to a telepath. The only one she encountered though used to be a voice in someone's head, so he was no help on that matter.

"You might run into him sometime. And you wouldn't be able to miss him if you did. He's a little on the thin side. Practically skin and bones. Well....practically just bones." It was a dumb joke, but it was just one of those days. She took the offer to sit, realizing how nice it was to get off her feet and feeling relieved.

"I'm from New York. Never left the city, honestly. One of these days I might travel more but I never really got the chance to growing up. Toronto has always sounded nice though. I can't say much about the weather though, since this is all I know." She glanced up at the somewhat muggy sky then shrugged.

"I suppose with practice I might have more luck with it, but the echoes have a tendency to focus on everything. I've had them analyze bird poop once, but I've been working on directing them better so that's been nice."

"Oh No!" Lana laughed. "My mutation has a life of it's own too. You'd be surprised how many embarrassing places spirits just show up. Always wanting you to do this or tell someone that." she beamed. It was so nice to be speaking to someone new for a change, especially someone that wasn't a criminal. She felt lucky to have met another kind mutant. Lana was always lucky with mutants it seemed. The only bad ones she ever met were already behind bars.

"I'm from New York. Never left the city, honestly. One of these days I might travel more but I never really got the chance to growing up. Toronto has always sounded nice though. I can't say much about the weather though, since this is all I know."

"Toronto isn't actually that much different from New York. It's a different kind of cold because it's not on the ocean, but the structure is very similar. It hasn't been too hard for me to adapt here. Except the rent is sky high and there's a lot more people." Lana admitted. "But I'm learning to like it. How long have you been with the gallery here? And do you have any suggestions for things to do for fun?"

She was trying really hard not to over do it, but Lana was excited at the prospect of a new friend. It could be lonely for a mutant, especially one with mutations like Lana. She liked that Evelyn was so direct, and that she could just get that part out of the way in the beginning and focus on getting to know Evelyn and share about herself.

Evelyn couldn't relate to the whole spirits wanting you to do things aspect, but the echoes definitely had their own goals so she understood someone wanting you to do something or go somewhere. She listed politely as Lana described Toronto and tried to imagine what it would be like. She traced her memories for any images of the city she might have seen, but none came directly to mind.

"It's sounds nice though. Hopefully you'll enjoy it here. I've been with the museum for a few years now, it was my first job and I was relieved to have it. Frankly, I have always been a bit lacking in social skills thanks to the echoes, so any form of customer service seemed doomed to fail. They stuck me in the back in archives though where I couldn't mess things up, and that has worked well so far..."

She considered the next question and the echoes formulated an expansive list. Probably too expansive for the conversation. "New York is a tourist city, so there is lots to do for fun. The zoo, the museums. I really enjoy visiting Broadway as well. Even though I can't forget, I never get bored watching the Lion King. It's always a little different, and somehow always feels a little better each time..." She smiled slightly as the memories drifted through her mind. She could hear the music perfectly, see the lights, feel the magic. If she wasn't fighting with her parents she'd probably visit the show again just for the experience.

>>"It's sounds nice though. Hopefully you'll enjoy it here. I've been with the museum for a few years now, it was my first job and I was relieved to have it. Frankly, I have always been a bit lacking in social skills thanks to the echoes, so any form of customer service seemed doomed to fail. They stuck me in the back in archives though where I couldn't mess things up, and that has worked well so far..."

"Yeah, seeing dead people can make meeting people hard." admitted Lana. "I can't believe I'm doing this well talking to you actually. I'm fine in my professional roles, but it's tricky out in public where any kind of ghost could be lurking." The truth was Lana really couldn't escape her power unless she was near an adapted person, and she had yet to meet one in New York. She wondered if it was easier for Evelyn back in the archives, if her echoes left her alone. She wanted to pry but thought better of it.

>>"New York is a tourist city, so there is lots to do for fun. The zoo, the museums. I really enjoy visiting Broadway as well. Even though I can't forget, I never get bored watching the Lion King. It's always a little different, and somehow always feels a little better each time..."

"I'd love to see the Lion King." she smiled. Something like that, maybe she wouldn't see any ghosts? And with that many people any spirits that were there maybe wouldn't recognize her gift. "So far I've just seen one of the places I'm working and my apartment. This is even my first trip to the park. I love having a green space like this right in the city." she bobbed her head cheerfully.

"So, I don't want to come off rude but I don't often get a chance to pick the brain of a similar mutant as I am. By all means, if it's none of my business you don't have to answer..." she paused taking a breath for courage. "How do you find coping with your echoes? Are they constantly going or do they turn off?"

Being around Clay always made Evelyn wish she could see dead people, although part of her was sure she would instantly regret it if she ever could. The echoes were distracting enough without having to deal with spirits as well. Would the echoes analyze the dead people? That would open up a whole new can of worms... But on the other hand, she had to wonder what she was missing, which was an odd experience. She was used to being a know it all, but now she was learning there was more out there she couldn't see or process. At least spirits couldn't do anything to the living, so all she was missing was bits of information. She couldn't be greedy in the end.

"The curious side of me wonders what it would be like, but I figure my head is crowded enough without having extra people around to process..." She concluded out loud.

>>"I'd love to see the Lion King."

"You should make it a goal. I may be biased but I still think it's one of the most wonderful Broadway shows out there... Phantom of the Opera wasn't bad, and I enjoyed Marry Poppins, but Lion King is a classic... Wicked is fun though.... Sorry, I'm rambling." Her mind trailed off and she brought herself back to the conversation at hand.

"I was born with the echoes, so I guess I've done decently coping with them. But there is no off button, so that gets annoying. It's like having constant chatter in your head no one can hear. When I was younger people would give me a hard time about it, and my parents tried to keep it under wraps. It's gotten better after being at the Mansion though." She remarked thoughtfully.

>>"I was born with the echoes, so I guess I've done decently coping with them. But there is no off button, so that gets annoying. It's like having constant chatter in your head no one can hear. When I was younger people would give me a hard time about it, and my parents tried to keep it under wraps. It's gotten better after being at the Mansion though."

Lana nodded. "Mine didn't start until puberty which I guess is usual for most mutants. Though my sister was adapated so whenever she was around she cancelled it out. I had a few incidents as a child but it's hard to know what was child imagination and what could have possibly been a mutation." that was all she really wanted to say about it. She didn't feel like getting into the whole history of being misdiagnosed with schizophrenia after her sister died. It was exhausting since she had to live with the reality every day.

"You mentioned the Mansion. I keep hearing about this place. I had looked it up before coming, it's a school for mutants right? I hadn't realized until recently it was a mansion..." she trailed off thinking for a moment. "I'm interested in visiting some time, I'd really like from a bit of a clinical perspective to see how things are run, how the mutants are all interacting with each other, but I've also heard they give great resources and information to outside mutants." she smiled. "Either way I'd really love to hear more about it, maybe I could call and arrange a tour or something."