Lori laid back and Devon smirked. His eyes drifted back to the tender, ocean blue his family was known for. She was relaxing at least.

>> "People should be allowed to practice."

“We do allow some minors to come down with supervision until they have a certain level of control,” Devon assured her. “Kids have to have someone watching, even some adults. I didn’t even know this place existed until Ghost asked to show me. Or was it Geist? So many apparitions…” he chuckled.

“But yeah, agreed. I’m encouraging more training as well as sessions with me for those who seem like they could benefit it. We do group sessions too,” he suggested. “That’s all up to the person and what they want to do, of course.”

She paused and seemed to take a few moments with her thought. Devon in the meantime proceeded over to the main controls and checked on the room status. All seemed fine. Well, there was some debris the janitorial bots would get after Lori was done putting her weights away.

>> "You run along. Go get your lunch. I'll be out of here eventually."

Devon laughed again, “Thanks. I’m late to my hop scotch game. I think instead I’ll get that lunch together like you said.” Humor remained in his tone as he cleared his throat, “I’ll have some ready for you too. Don’t take too long.”

With that he was out the door, though he texted Lisa immediately to notify him if anyone new could immediately access the lower levels. Time to shut that down so they could give everyone their own password and key so they’d know who was venturing downstairs and into the training room. Couldn’t have just anybody walking off the street throwing their weight around down there.

She was wrung out and this was all that was left.

Lori really wished she'd been paying better attention when he'd introduced himself. If for no other reason than it was hard to think up something fitting to call him.

Stormy? Blusterboy? Coldilocks? Cloudguy? Weather Witch? Or should that have been Weather Warlock? Weather Wizard? Weather Wizeguy! Ugh. Too many syllables.

It was all incredibly lame. Almost as lame as the nonsense he was talking about letting people in here. The air had tasted stale before he'd worked his mojo. She'd used her key to get in, rightly assuming that her successor had closed things off rather than deal with them. But she would let him have that one. Everyone told themselves little lies to make things easier for themselves.

But not everything he'd said was totally boring. Ghost? Lori blinked and raised her chin which rolled her scalp along the floor and allowed her to scrutinize the weather man from an upside-down vantage point. It made entirely too much sense that this guy had met that mutant and entirely improbable that she'd blabbed to him about Lori. Otherwise he wouldn't be allowing her to take up his floorspace. Not even Ghost knew the half of what she'd done.

They were all better for it.

It had to be done.

Group sessions? Seriously? "It was bad enough to do this in front of one witness." Though she had been thinking it might be fun to try some things against someone at some point.

He did not realize she'd been dismissing him. He could have his own damn lunch by his own damn self. She wasn't here to make friends. She wasn't here to make enemies either. She hadn't come here to talk or get pats on the back or watch his backside walk out the door, although she'd done all those things too.

Dumb. This was dumb.

Lori sat up and ripped her hair tie out of her hair. Done. She was done. She did the practice. No one died (even her). She was done. And leaving. So... wait.

She looked around and cursed him loud enough that she hoped he heard her all the way upstairs. HE STILL HAD HER SHOE.

Devon sat at his desk, rather old in style and from use, but the computer upon it was new. He had a plate with some chips and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The jelly was strawberry because he’d grown quite tired of grape while living on the run and between shelters. There was a tall glass of water beside it.

On the desk closest to the open door was another plate with chips, another sandwich, a few cookies, a soda, a water, and a napkin because he wasn’t an animal. That was for Lori. Her shoe was right below it on the floor. He hadn’t meant to carry it out with him but oh well, maybe this would guarantee she ate something.

He’d inspired her. Honestly he liked the way she challenged him too. She wasn’t a go along to get along type. What’s more, he felt he should encourage her. She had great potential and aside from the digging at him, she’d be fun. Granted they could cause some trouble together but what wasn’t a little mischief in the night? There was the idea she might like what he was designing too. He’d already sent off a few emails.

And there was the Order. He wanted to know more about the Order. It sounded like she was rather proud of it and it was important for Tempest to know why. There’d been trouble here then, but that didn’t mean there weren’t important, good aspects of the group.

The phone rang and Devon picked it up immediately.

“Mr. Hadden, the guest downstairs is swearing rather angrily. I believe she will be up shortly,” Lisa informed him.

“Thank you,” Devon grimaced the grinned before hanging up.

He was stupid, she decided. He wasn't conniving enough to have taken her shoe in order to coerce her into having lunch... was he? So yeah. He must have forgotten. From 'forgetful' it was a very short jump to 'moron.' Definitely stupid.

She could leave.

Lori stomped over to gather her things. It was a much less satisfying to stomp with one shoe. At least it was a tennis shoe. It would be impossible to stomp in one heel. She worked carefully while she fumed. The glass was gone from the floor, but she was having to pick through the piles at the edge of the room for her belongings. His wind had really done a number on the place. She'd hardly noticed it through the thunder.

She would have to grab a taxi. There was no guarantee that a sock was enough protection to get her to the subway and then all the way back to where she was staying.

That's what she wanted to do. Leave.

Except no matter how careful she was, there was a lot of glass. Her bag was cloth and the strap was webbed. The texture leant itself to hiding the most tiny slivers. She did not account for that until after she'd grabbed a weighted bag by the strap and lifted it onto her shoulder.

Stubbornness got her to the door before she flung the bag down and sent a fresh splash of glass bits spraying up from the wall next to the doorway.

More cursing and more than a little dancing to avoid stepping on anything.

Maybe he wasn't a moron. Maybe he was playing 4d space chess.

She left her bag there and went straight for the infirmary. Wasn't there some trick to get glass splinters out? She couldn't remember. With her luck it was probably soaking your hands in water. She hissed at her palm as she inspected it in the better lighting. There was only one moron here...

More than a few minutes and some antiseptic later, Lori peeked into her old office and was surprised at how different it felt now that not everything was made of metal. At least her old painting was still there. When she'd left, she'd forgotten about it. That's what she got for messing with a memorymancer.

Pulling glass out of her palm had given her the time to cool off and the antiseptic had left her pretty drained. Now she really had no choice but to face the music and get her shoe. Lori kept her bandaid mummy hand behind her.

"Is that peanut butter and jelly?" It definitely wasn't what she'd expected. Actually she wasn't sure what she'd been expecting from Devon Haddon, but it wasn't that. She was glad, however, that he had a name placard so she didn't have to keep inventing names.

She sat and slipped her shoe on. He hadn't actually been keeping it hostage. There was no mustache twirling involved. More proof that that he was a boyscout.

Safe at last, Lori flung her legs over the arm of the chair and grabbed the napkin in order to grab the water bottle. Condensation was dangerous. It had the added benefit of keeping her hand out of easy view.

"So why the wine and fine dining?" He could have just let her leave...

>> "Is that peanut butter and jelly?"

Devon looked up, grinning and nodding, “MMhmm.” He typed something, moved his mouse, and then took a bite of his sandwich. Somewhere around leaning back and taking another bite, Lori had gotten comfortable and started her meal.

>> "So why the wine and fine dining?"

There was a quiet laugh as he looked away from the monitor. He tilted to the side so that his head slowly slipped past the screen in front of him. He waggled his eyebrows and grinned, “Only the best when I like a woman.” He chuckled, his chair moving him out from behind the computer and in front of his plate so his attention could be with Lori.

“It’s good to have a meal after training,” he said while his eyes clouded with darkness and his left hand wafted in the direction of the door. A gentle breeze shut it for him as the ink receded from his vision. “Also, after exerting oneself beyond training some benefit from a small meal.” He nodded again, leaning forward while he picked up his water. “I did want to encourage you to talk with someone, whether with me or anyone else. If you do want to, I can recommend others. But all that aside, I was also hoping you’d tell me more about the Order.”

He inhaled deeply and took a sip of his water, though his lowered chin and quick motion indicated he had more to say. “I’m hoping to build on what I’ve started here while letting Sanctuary remain its own, and stable, place. I think learning about the Order and what you sought for it is an important part of that. As much as some people seem terrified by what happened, there are plenty who knew it for something that would help them, take care of them. Mutants need that.”

Devon leaned back, “Least I could do was make you a sandwich. I mean, there’s even cookies.” He chuckled, “Who would turn down cookies?”

PB&J was a staple at her house. She couldn't cook much better.

He didn't know that, of course. Her best guess as to why there was a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich on her plate was that might just be what he had on hand in the kitchen.

A glance kitchen-ward showed Lori nothing but wall. Despite the fact that it was past a couple more walls and behind a couple doors, she could remember just how it looked; she'd been there so much.

Lori stuck with water while he was on the computer, too afraid to get close to working equipment. Her charge level was low. She could tell because her head felt light. She felt light. She really just wanted to close her eyes. With levels that low, his computer was probably safe, but she'd already jacked up his phone. She'd hate to owe him for something else.

> “Only the best when I like a woman.”

Ah. So she was pb&j level in his book. That made sense, but she still rolled her eyes as she turned back to toward Haddon. It sounded as if he'd finished whatever computer business he'd had. It was only fair. She had kept him waiting for a bit too.

Lori grabbed a triangle of sandwich with her off hand and nibbled. He used his power to close the door and this time she actually got to see the whole eye show from start to finish.

Showing off? Or just lazy?

"You can take your talking to someone and stuff it." Which was blessedly polite considering how she felt about the subject. It wasn't personal. Or, at least, she was trying to keep it from getting personal.

She set the water down on the ground and wiggled herself into the chair so that the nape of her neck was cradled against the top of the backrest. The heels of her sneakers rested on an armrest which meant she was essentially crunched in half, but she was short enough that it was comfortable. Just comfortable enough to continue picking at her sandwich.

He wisely let the helpfulness go and moved on.

"My Order was supposed to be about unity. Nobody had purpose or direction for anything they were doing. They'd all been running around like selfish brats. So instead of having us fight against each other for no reason, I at least wanted to bring them together.

Family dinners, territory, and a common enemy. Those were my gifts to the Order." Quickly squandered gifts. Collective memory was short term.

"I probably shouldn't have left them, but I got sidetracked by a personal project." She shrugged, perpetually unapologetic. "But that's all over now." She was a ship without a sail. But at least there were cookies. Lori finished her half sandwich and went straight for dessert, one for each hand.

Devon wasn’t precognitive but at least as far as behavior, he could do a fairly good job of prediction.

>> "You can take your talking to someone and stuff it."

Yep. Tempest grinned at her response but moved on. He wasn’t going to belabor it.

She also moved on, and from the sound of the story, maybe she was feeling a bit guilty of that. He grinned at the family dinner comment and nodded. He sipped his water at the mention of the personal project. She’d had a few of those it sounded like. She’d mentioned a child after all, right? There was an apathy in her tone but a sad remembrance in her words. But at least there were cookies.

“That chapter is anyway, maybe,” Devon nodded. “Even with the dangers and things that happened at the end, seems like people were thankful to have what you started. Those family dinners mean a lot,” he said, his voice quieting slightly. He nodded again, perhaps a few too many times, “We’re social creatures after all, but giving someone food, shelter, and a common goal? That’s everything.”

“Sanctuary’s still here, providing some of that. It always will, I hope,” he said with a small smile. “It helps me as much as I help it.” With that he finished his water and pushed his plate away. “You at all interested in volunteering here again? Could always use the help.”

People? Thankful? "Ha! Lisa probably tattled to you about me because it was practically pitchforks once they realized I was chasing a cure." And before he even asked, she answered. "There is no cure. Mutations may start out from single a genetic marker, but no one size fits all nullification can be manufactured from-" She stopped. Nobody cared. "Forget it."

She did at least have cookies. Old habits made her want to squirrel one away for later. Just in case. There were no pockets in her work out shorts so Lori balanced the extra on her knee and ate the first slowly. She could eat both of them. She had money now. She could buy more.

"Nah. I don't think they'd want me back here. But I do like knowing that this place is still in operation." And that she'd torn down that gaudy throne and no one had built another. That was another relief. "But I was pretty good at landing whales for funding. So I guess you could call me when you find an *ss that needs kissing." Which was how she'd been able to install herself at the helm of a pharmaceutical company.

Though... Haddon looked like he had kissed more than a few butts of his own. The thought was cheering enough that Lori started in on her second cookie.

>> "Ha! Lisa probably tattled to you about me because it was practically pitchforks once they realized I was chasing a cure."

“No-“ he started to say but she went on.

>> "Forget it."

“Sure. But no,” Devon shook his head slowly, “Lisa hadn’t mentioned you. I don’t think she operates that way. As for the cure, I don’t have any interest. I’m sure some might depending on the mutation’s impact, especially physically, but I’m all set.” He was glad to see she was enjoying the cookies if nothing else.

>> "But I was pretty good at landing whales for funding. So I guess you could call me when you find an *ss that needs kissing."

“Thanks, maybe,” Devon nodded. “I’m taking some serious steps at securing Sanctuary’s future, including funding. I’ve got a large block party planned. You’re more than welcome to attend. All are, it’s a public event. I’ll be sure to call on you for that assist though,” he smiled. Yeah, he could kiss some serious butt. He worked the right channels and approached it as best he thought possible.

Sanctuary deserved it; the people here needed it, especially the mutants. But as Lori had reminded him downstairs, they needed something more too. Once things settled after the Block Party, he’d revisit that.

“People here work hard; it’s a home for many and a place to be away from home otherwise. We’re focusing on the community aspect,” Devon added, “A block party seemed like a good way to celebrate that.” He picked up his napkin and cleaned his face. “Think about it.”

Oh. Yeah. Of course he wasn't interested in a cure. No one who enjoyed only upsides would want to ditch that. It was the people who didn't like how their abilities cornered them and limited their options, people like Lori, who needed it most. Since the eye roll was unavoidable, Lori decided to turn and finish off her cookie while he talked. The cookie didn't care if she rolled her eyes right out of her skull. There was no judgment from cookies.

It was just as well. She'd gotten too comfortable. She'd forgotten how very charismatic bipolar people could be when it was a good day. He was looking at her like a prince today. Tomorrow it was just as likely to be a collision of ego with her left as roadkill.

No thanks.

"I'd love to." It was natural and easy to say what she didn't mean with a full force of sincerity in her eyes. She knew she couldn't talk to psychos like normal human beings. It took a special touch. Extra care. She didn't want him angry at her.

"Community..." She'd tried that, but maybe she just didn't get how all the moving pieces worked. "I'll be watching to see if works." Which was an easy enough way to say that she wasn't going to have any part in it. Unless he tried to cash in on her offer to go whale hunting, of course. It was too late to retract that offer.

So yeah. Things were wrapping up. She hadn't touched half of her meal and it was a shame to leave it, but she did. She was getting better at these kinds of things. At least she had both shoes on.

"I'll see you around, boyscout." It was time to go pass out somewhere.

>> "I'd love to."

“Great,” Devon said with a grin, convinced she wasn’t likely to attend. She seemed avoidant and that was fine. Lori had her choices and it seemed her past determined many of them. Still, there was a hope she’d show up and he’d be all the more excited for that.

>> "I'll be watching to see if works."

“I aim not to disappoint,” Devon nodded. “Thanks for the chat,” he smiled, standing as she got up. He walked with her into the lobby and waved her out. “Don’t be a stranger!” he called after her before returning to his desk.

Switching windows on his computer, the Sanctuary manager went back to his planning. First, a review of one Lori Faust and Faust Pharmaceuticals.