Part of the way that the Order stayed just this side of legal was following through with their contracts. Under normal, controlled circumstances they didn't have to follow through with their contracts. Today, or rather, last night had been anything but controlled.

Mutants on the rampage. She'd only just kept it out of the paper by laying out a fad wad of cash and pulling a few strings. She was lucky to have those strings because sometimes it seemed they were all that kept her Sanctuary protected.

One of those strings ended with APCI, All Purpose Construction International. They had been with her since the days when she'd been planning Faust Pharms. With the mutant tumbles going on in her territory, now they were on speed dial.

Lori stood in front of the latest house covered by mutant insurance that had been wrecked. The human family within had been relocated to a hotel. She had three days.

Ring. Ring. APCI always put Ms. Faust through to someone with leverage in the company. When you spent as much as she did and as often, they had better.

Two rings was the standard for answering a bussiness phone. Shula wasn't used to her phone ringing however, most people saw her personaly if they had to, and her secretary took most of her calls for her when they did come in. Shula knew that it was a client that spent a lot, and often. Usually, those were insurance companies, and on occassion large bussinesses. Her secretary buzzed in on the intercom with all the information she needed. Shula picked up the phone. "Ms. Faust, this is Shula Nasser, COO of APCI, how can we help you?"

Finally, someone intelligent to speak to.

So it was that Shula Nasser was on her way to a neighbourhood recently struck by mutant terrorists. One house completely demolished. Her briefcase held a contract, the usual one for Ms. Faust's calls, slightly re-worked for the abnormal time constraints. The contract, as usual, was roughly forty pages long, detailing everything about anything APCI had to do with Ms. Faust's company. Confidentiality was, of course, top priority. Shula stepped out of the company car, the driver proceeding to drive away in the black mercedes, likely the company didn't trust the neighbourhood, although it seemed perfetly safe. Briefcase in hand Shula approached what looked to be another company car. It was almost always a correct assumption, and whenever it was not, Shula was corrected before she made it there.

Let this be fast, Faust.

((ooc. any changes needed just PM me ))

Funny. When she was broke as a joke thieving her way across the city, she never could get anyone to drive across lunch traffic. Not even for an emergency. Slap a suit and some money on the issue, however, and things became a whole lot more professional.

And somehow made her a whole lot less at ease.

The paperwork she'd kind of gotten used to. Usually she had someone else handle this kind of thing but... well, she never wanted to be too far disconnected from what was happening. If she didn't keep her thumbs in each pie, how would anyone know they were hers?

"Ms. Nasser, I presume." Lori extended her hand.

Shula nodded to Ms Faust and shook the offered hand, as her boss had specifically told her as she had left; Ms Faust was a very wealthy and a repeat customer, so she was to be offered every courtesy. Why had that pompous ass had to be in on the one day she actually had to do something? And something so insignificant at that. Still, she was payed well for what she did, and it felt good to be out of the office and away from all the work she had to spread amongst her subordinates. "Indeed, Ms Faust, I trust you are well? I assure you this will be over as efficiently and quickly as possible." There was no point wasting perfectly good day.

Glad to see the glass ceiling has had a brick dropped through it lately

Shula opened the briefcase, revealing the papers, a pen resting on top of them. "I must admit Ms Faust, I personally consider your company of more value than simply to my company. It does a lot for the mutant cause, preventing ugly backlash from ignorant and bigoted fools, on mutants who may simply have momentarily lost control of themselves, or worse, the children who are newly discovering their genetic... gifts." Shula had been halfway to saying superiority before she had stopped herself. She ought not be so careless with her words. "I'm sure by now you know where to sign. Feel free to check through the paperwork, I assure you everything is in perfect order."

Or Suzy will find herself encased in glass... What's left of her anyway.

Ms. Nasser all but licked Lori's boots. The blonde glanced down at her entirely insensible (but dang sexy) stilettos. Well. They, at least, did not need any licking. After all this was taken care of, Lori was going out. Because she needed to get out more. For now: business.

The briefcase provided an official looking contract. Really a lot of this was usually handled by other people, but she liked to stay in the loop as much as possible. If she let go of too much, then there was a chance that someone might get the bright idea that they didn't need her anymore. Lori liked knowing all the ins and outs that she could. It helped her make better decisions and direct her business better.

Lori grabbed the pen. And got an ear full.

Blue eyes flicked up over the lid of the briefcase to gauge the tone and intention of Ms. Nasser. No. She really appeared to believe what she was saying....

The Order leader pulled the briefcase closer and flipped to the second page, sort of skimming and sort of thinking this through. She had chosen her development company based on her belief that you could always trust a crook to go crooked. She needed some sometimes quiet expansions and quick jobs that didn't wants sit on the level and she needed people who were creative enough to play the semi-legit line like she did.

That meant Ms. Nasser was of the same ilk as Lori. That or she had no idea what kind of company kept her employ.

There had to be a reason they sent this particular woman to Lori.

"It's the American dream. I've just capitalized on an unexplored market, Ms. Nasser. Nothing more." Of course it was so much more. The exploitation of the humans who refused to be bullied out of their homes funded a slow moving empire. That was how she preferred it. Like cancer. Pretend to be a normal cell until they find out it's too late to cut you out.

Lori flipped another page and ran her finger along a few lines. Nothing extraordinarily odd had jumped out at her, but she hadn't paid the best attention. Not with such a lovely potential throwing herself in Lori's path.

"You seem sympathetic toward these reckless genetic goofups, Ms. Nasser. Surely the economy isn't so poor that ACPI has started instigating trouble to get more work?" Her tone was joking. So far as she was concerned, a drunk and over dense Bacchus Brickson took orders from no one, not even himself. But it was always fun to give someone so stiff-backed a jab to see what she'd do.

Nothing more? I doubt that, does she take me for an idiot?

Shula would have expressed this sentiment had it not been for the fact she value her job, and losing such a large client with questions for no other reason than to prove herself right would likely get even Shula fired, and she was all but immune to that particular nasty part of having a job. So she simply waited, silent until Ms Faust spoke again. This time a joke at her expense. Well, it would have to slide by, that particular one. However she would rather be perceived as having no sense of humour than not paying attention, and so quickly answered the question posed in the joking tone. She replied fully seriously of course.

I'll like to regret meeting this woman I'm sure.

"I assure you Ms Faust had the economy come to such a condition we would simply have capitalised on further markets already more easily linked to our company. I myself however happen to understand that it can be difficult to grasp new power, just like suddenly being thrust into a leading role of a large company, sometimes, one can't fully control their newfound abilities." She put it as diplomatically as possible. She got the feeling that the woman before her, Faust, much like herself, was not a woman to be trifled with. After all, those who wasted Ms Nasser's time tended to end up encased in glass, who knew what Faust could potentially do.

I'm not sure I like her. Not at all sure.

As decorous and stately as Ms. Faust, CEO of Faust Pharmaceuticals, was acting before, now the Order leader started to peek through. Lori smiled at the contract and then pressed her lips together to keep herself from outright grinning (or worse laughing) at the brunette's uptight reaction. In Lori's experience people who took themselves too seriously did not appreciate others laughing at them. "It was a joke, Ms. Nasser. You need to get out more."

The paperwork was sort of over her head. Lori liked numbers and genes far more than documentation or litigation. Nothing screamed that this company was ripping her off, though and they had done business together before with the rebuilding of the Pharmaceutical research lab. Lori signed the papers and then returned both pen and contract.

"Now that the paperwork is in order, would you mind chatting a while?" The Order leader leaned against Shula's car in a casual way. This was a woman who was comfortable with herself and her situation. "It's not often that I meet someone outside of this area that actually appreciates what we do."