The name reminded her of someone on TV, but Lori couldn't quite place the name. It felt both familiar and completely new.

"It is nice to meet you, Ahorta." Maybe not nice to see what she saw, but nice to finally know the recluse of the Sanctuary. "This... these humans that show danger. Can you see them for what they are? Can you consistently separate out a human from a mutant this way? Or do you see any threat like this, even if it might be a mutant?" Because that was a useful ability in either case.

Lori continued to address the shoulder she was facing. "I admit I have more than one reason for wanting to meet you, Ahorta." The door opened and Lori's head turned that way even though she didn't see what was happening until Ahorta turned to see the reptilian secretary.

"Did you... need something, ma'am?"

Lori swallowed at the sight of her. "No. That's all." It was just a result of Ahorta's mind. She could tell herself that. And that it would end when her ability expired. She just didn't know when that would be.

The Order leader turned back toward Ahorta's shoulder, not quite making it back as far as she did before and this time addressing the space behind the girl. "Have you seen the security in place at the Sanctuary?" No doubt she would know that it was abysmal even without her paranoia added on top.

Ahorta paused for a moment at Ms. Faust's question. Could she tell if people were mutants or humans? Could she sense it? Was that a piece of her mutation? A momentary pause sent her whizzing through different answers until she finally reached the one she thought made the most sense. "I can and I can't. There are certain little things that mutants do, the slightest things, that separate them from humans. Some of them wear something bizarre to hide their mutation, like gloves or a bulky jacket. A lot of them are rather shy in public, so they do what they must to double the hiding place of their mutation, making it more obvious. I'd have to say that the biggest thing to give it away is the way people look at me. If it's a person, they either believe I'm a mutant or they think I'm contagious, either way, they give me a certain look of distrust and disgust. Most mutants think that I'm a mutant, so they are much more accepting of the face mask," she sort of shrugged, still glancing back at the door to see if the creature was going to burst through it and steal her.

What could be the other reasons? Ms. Faust had stated that there was more than one reason why she wished to meet Ahorta, so what could - Ahorta froze. She heard a door creak and then saw Ms. Faust look in the general direction of it, her eyes unfocused as if she were trying to take in the scenery instead of the scene. It was like watching a blind woman trying to act as though she were not. Ahorta's eyes met the reptilian woman and for a moment, she debated picking up her chair and throwing it at her, attacking this threat. But she remained seated with her eyes glued on the thing. Surely, Ms. Faust would not enjoy Ahorta killing one of her employees the first time they met.

Blinking a few times, she filed through her memories of security in locations and found her thoughts on the Sanctuary. "I have not seen the security room, but I have seen the cameras and such but I have not seen the full extent. I haven't travelled anywhere in the Sanctuary that would warrent extra security," she said, debating on whether or not she would mention her own security in her room. It wasn't exactly security, it was just her own ways of keeping people out and any information she did not wish to share, inside.

So it wasn't a power any more scientific than the power of observation. It tied into her neurosis somewhere and manifested in ways that related to things that frightened Ahorta.

"Most of the current security is on a personal basis. It's the residents who pose the most threat and currently they're the ones responsible for protecting personal property. We're moving into more risky business and that means more risk to the Residents of the Sanctuary. I won't have that. I need someone with a discerning eye. Someone who can recognize trustworthiness and identify potential threats.

Do you think that you could do that? Do you think you could help me protect our family?" Because that is what the Sanctuary was. A family more real than most of them had ever experienced before. It was people like Lori, people like Ahorta that pulled together to make it so.

The next part of their conversation sparked something inside of the paranoid mutant, something she hadn't felt in years: excitement. Was she being offered a job! Someone wanted to employ her? Someone actually thought that her crazy ideas and fears would benefit the Sanctuary in the long haul? Now that was a true honor. It was a way that she could actually use her fears to protect others, she'd never protected anyone before. Well, once she tried to protect a woman from a giant slug, she was a mutant of course, but it turns out there was some sort of sleep mutant nearby that made her fall into a deep sleep, leaving her vulnerable for attack.

"I would lov-" she paused, she had never used that word before: love. Her mother once told her she loved her, but that was on her deathbed. Ahorta was never sure if she had used the word to make her peace or if she actually meant it. For whatever reasons she used it, Ahorta did not say it back. "I mean, I think it would be a very good job, and I'm very protective, especially of mutants in the same cause," she nodded, correcting the near spill of the L word. Ahorta, Head of Security, it had a nice ring to it. The only thing left to do was to only do damage to intruders when they passed the threshold or somewhere secluded. If she was to be head of security and intruders passed, killing them outside of the building was unfavorable, and maybe some information would be nice before the final blow.

For the greater good of the Sanctuary, she would be able to get over such quick actions. Plus, working as Head of Security, she could set some stuff up that would allow her to capture or attack intruders without her ever laying a hand on them, which happened to be one of her fears: touching. Especially touching those she did not trust, those vermin outside, crawling around the city, looking for her and her... family? The was another word she was unfamiliar with. You could call her mother and father biological, but that was it. It was not family if your mother continued to sell her body to every man and bring them into their home until she died. It was not family if your father constantly beat you for being the mistake of a one night stand. It was not family if your father sent you off to a psychiatric hospital the second your mother passed and cleaned himself free from the confinements of his family. She chose not to comment on the word as it still did not come naturally to her lips, even if the Sanctuary was the closest form of family she had. "The Sanctuary is my home, and I will protect and every resident if you honor me with this position."

Lori was pleased and more than a little touched. She noticed her head shifting from line of sight so she turned it, the wrong way at first, and recovered. "Then it's yours. We should go over the current situation when you''re ready and I'll see about getting what you need to succeed."

"Uh. Ma'am?" The voice came through the door. Oh good. She had learned not to barge in.

"Yes?"

"Your 3 o'clock is in the lobby?

Ohhhhh great. Well, this was the good meeting. That meant her 3 must be the other. And now... she wasn't entirely sure that she would be seeing what was happening in that meeting. Really, she needed to figure out how to disentangle brainwaves. They were just... really tricky.

"I'm glad you came in today." So glad that Lori was now trying to figure out a way to ditch her next meeting.

The job was secured. Ms. Faust was giving her a job, a job she felt the crazy mutant could excel in. It was finally a time to earn money due to hard work and dedication. Any money Ahorta had picked up was from the wallets of her victims but she never had a solid income. Simply applying for a job was problematic but if she ever got an interview, she more times than none had a panic attack and ruined all chances of her getting the job. It never helped that the interviewers were more than likely human, spurring her attacks to even greater heights. No, the best job for her was at the Sanctuary, protecting and working with other mutants.

"So when do I start then?" she asked just before the creature outside piped up again. Ahorta's attention snapped to the door, curious if the thing was going to slither in under the door. She would not take the new security guard at the Sanctuary, no, she would not take her away. Apparently there was a 3 o'clock waiting to be seen and Ahorta found herself confused on what she should do. Ms. Faust had not yet asked her to leave, not bluntly at least but Ahorta was not updated on how to say what needed to be said without actually using blunt words. Did ms, faust want her to leave?

Confused with her situation, Ahorta looked up at ms. Faust, her eyebrow raised and her head slightly tilted to the side. "I'm sorry, should I leave?" she asked, hoping to hear a blunt answer so she could solve her confusion. If she needed to leave, she would leave and start mapping out the Sanctuary to come up with rough drafts on how she needed to handle the security of her new home. Was there anything special she needed to do now? Meet some people? Would she have her own walkie and possibly security room? Excitement began to overwhelm her feelings of confusion.

An idea hatched suddenly. If Ahorta was security and the next to visit was one that Lori would almost certainly be ejecting from the Sanctuary... and if Lori could not see without Ahorta's eyes for who knows how long...

"I would like you to stay. Be my eyes, Ahorta." Literally. "I want you to help me assess the next person to walk in through that door. Let me know what you think as my head of security." He was a mutant, but a real misfit around the sanctuary. Picking on others rather than offering his abilities to pursue their common goal. No where near as valuable to the Order as Ahorta.

And for safety... "Let's move to the other side of the desk. Bring a chair if you want."

Lori stood and strode confidently into her desk's front left corner. Mumbled a curse and then found her way into her usual leather chair. When she reached for the clunky, shielded intercom she hit the button first try. Hah. It wasn't all bad. "We're ready." Well, as ready as they ever would be.

Ms. Faust stated that Ahorta was her 'eyes'. Whether or not that had something to do with her mutation, how she was able to see through Ahorta's eyes, it was an honor and a rare treat to have someone look through her eyes. For once, someone knew what she was talking about, understood the sights she saw and what she knew about the loathsome creatures that these humans could become. Plus, with Ms. Faust's mutation, another rare occassion became present: she was needed. The words seemed to dance through the dark corners of her mind.

"Oh, I would absolutely stay and be your eyes," she said, feeling oddly a bit bashful. With such trust from someone of such high authority and such a sense of power, it was such an honor for her to be of assistance. She was offered a seat at the other side of the desk and she nodded, picking up one of the chairs, the one she had sat on so she was sure nothing about it was amiss, she walked over next to Ms. Faust and sat down, keeping her eyes on the door the entire time, in case he walked in unannounced.

Ms. Faust seemed to have some problems getting to her chair and Ahorta seemed a little confused, could she only see through her eyes at the moment? Was there no other way for her to see? Offering silent help, Ahorta looked at Ms. Faust, hoping it would serve as a great help in directing her to her chair. When Ms. Faust had settled herself, Ahorta turned her attention back to the door, awaiting the signal for the man to come in. Ms. Faust invited him in and Ahorta braced herself, already scanning the door up and down for the moment he came in so she could immediately size him up. Hopefully the aweful creature outside would remain at her desk.

His hips entered the room first. It was all in the way he was walking. Like he owned everything in the room. Like they owed him something for being there.

"You rang?" He slunk through the door and it shut behind him without the secretary ever poking her head in. That was probably for the best.

"Do you know why you're here?" She repeated the game she'd played with Ahorta. Police did it when pulling someone over. People knew everything that they were doing wrong. Even if they didn't say it out loud they would say it with body language.

Lori knew why he was here. He was here so that she could throw him out of the Sanctuary. He had picked fights , destroyed property and nearly killed another resident. None of that was too terribly different from most other residents, but this guy had nearly killed one of their younger residents, a minor that didn't yet have control of his abilities.

She wanted to give him a chance to explain himself, in case it was something that could be explained, but she expected this would be one of the few ex-Sanctuary residents.

The man was full of himself, Ahorta could see that in an instant. People that were more sure of themselves than there surroundings had always been scary to the crazy mutant. If they were too preoccupied with themselves, they did not care if harm came to others, not even when the harm originated from the narcisistic one, like this man here. Sure, hurting people was fine, but the way he walked into the room screamed that he did not mind hurting anyone, mutant or human. There were those odd mutants who used their power purely for their own advancement and not to aid the mutant race.

The smell from the man was vile. It was not dirty, greasy, grimey, or sweaty, it was overly clean. He was one of those people that lathered, rinsed, and repeated. He did not do it because it was suggested on the bottle, he did it to make himself extra squeaky noticeable. His cologne reeked of self-appreciation. He was there to only impress himself. He did not seem to squirm much when Ms. Faust asked him the same question she had asked Ahorta. Everyone tensed up at that question. Whether they were fearful that someone knew they had killed someone or simply sped 3 miles over the speed limit, that question made everyone find something they had done wrong, just for the sake of not being surprised when the question was answered for them.

Still, the man simply shrugged. Did he truly believe he had made no mistakes? Ever? Ahorta's eyes narrowed and fixed on him. She did not trust him, not one single bit and she scanned the room, looking for something he could use as a weapon if given the opportunity. There was not very much, but she had her eyes on the pens, making sure they remained on Ms. Faust's desk. What was this man's mutation?