2007-03-16: Apologies

Starring:

Cass_icon.gif Claudine_icon.gif

Summary: Claudine comes into the store to apology for nearly destroying it. The two have a conversation about powers and Cass unwittingly warns a Company agent about the Company. Awkward.

Date It Happened: March 16, 2007

Apologies


Enlightenment Books

It's been an interesting sort of day for Cass. She hired someone new, has finally gotten the last book reorganized from the great rearrangement. So, things are getting done and she's feeling productive. The store is a nice mixture of regulars and new faces and Cass is helping one particular customer find the right book for her about reading auras and tarot cards. It's a hushed sort of conversation as the woman seems to be embarrassed about being in the store in the first place. She looks like a business woman in her pantsuit and conservative attire. Cass keeps smiling and assisting her in a very soothing manner.

It's been a while since the last time she 'visited' the store, but there's a hesitant knock. Then she remembers that she can just come in, and soon a young Filipina woman enters through the door while poking her head in. Claudine chews on her bottom lip while idly running her fingers through her hair as she heads on inside..

The knock on the door draws Cass' attention slightly, since it's not exactly normal practice for people to knock before entering places of business. Seeing Claudine enter, she raises an eyebrow. She /just/ finished the store. If this girl makes things shake again, she is not going to be the one to clean it up. "Welcome!" she says, friendly enough, though. "If you need any help, I'll be with you in a moment." Then she's back to her skittish customer who is hiding a deck of tarot cards as if they might be porn and the book that goes along with it. She guides the woman over to the counter, tells her the total in a quiet voice and then double bags her purchase for her, so that there is no way for the contents to be visible and hands it over to the woman. "Thank you for coming. Come back if you need any more help with those. Really, I think you'll love them." The woman nods and then flees the bookstore with furtive looks around to make sure no one saw where she came from.

A sheepish smiles curls onto her lips as she smiles warmly and heads on over. "I..I'm sorry I never came back to help you clean up your store. I..well, I sort of stayed away from the city for a bit.." Claudine says softly as she isnt causing things to shake, but then again, she isnt in a state of panic right now anyway..
Cass gives Claudine a shrug. "Well, nothing was damaged beyond repair. And no one got hurt. So I can't stay too angry." The store is still in one piece and doesn't seem to start rumbling again, so she gives the girl a smile. She's always been one to forgive. "I hope…everything's doing better then." She's not quite sure how to ask about making the ground shake. Really, it's an awkward subject. So, she'll just be vague for now.

"I've been taking yoga to help myself keep calm.." Claudine says with a shrug of her shoulders. "Though, really, I'm sort of nervous what to do about finals. I tend to have freakouts during finals, and well..I do need to stick around so I can take them..so if you hear about Columbia being destroyed..that's just totally my bad.."

Cass gives a kind of choking laugh at the joke made by Claudine. "So, before." The owner looks around at the people browsing, trying to make sure no one is listening. It doesn't look like it, but she keeps her voice low anyway. "The nearly leveling my store. That was you?" She can assume so by the way she's talking, but she doesn't want to start a conversation about the subject when they're talking about two totally different things.

Her cheeks burn a bright red from embarassment and instead of saying anything, she simply nods, chewing on her bottom lip as she gives furtive glances to the other patrons.

Cass gives a nod of her head, though she still looks serious. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bring anything up you don't want to talk about. You just seemed so…open about it a second ago." The mixed signals has confused the woman and she decides that perhaps it's the best to be vague again. "I'm glad to hear that you're doing better. Yoga is very good at calming and training the body. As is meditation."

Well, she could've been referring to something like blowing up because of her freakout, and well..guess the joke didnt translate to English as well as she thought. "I was kind of referring something else..I guess it's more of a Filipino euphemism where the humor got lost in translation.." Claudine admits ruefully while running her fingers through her hair again. "I..I dont really like people knowing what I can do, especially since it is so destructive.." she whispers softly.

"No, then I'm sorry. I just jumped to conclusions." Cass sounds sincere in her apology. "I've just been seeing strange things when sometimes it's just nothing, you know?" She smiles at Claudine and shakes her head. "I wouldn't be ashamed of it. Anyone can be destructive if they put their mind to it. It's all about intention. As long as you're controlling it, which you seem to be doing just fine now, there are no problems."

"That's because I'm trying to think happy thoughts. If I feel stressed or get angry, things..still happen.." Claudine says softly while smiling once more as she looks around the store. "Well..I would still like to offer some sort of help since you did give me the book for free, and I almost destroyed your store..think of it as indentured servitude until I pay off the damage.."

"Like Peter Pan. Without the flying." Cass grins and tries to make a joke in light of the situation. "Well, I think they're probably still happening because your body is using…what you can do as a defense mechanism. It's kind of like the fight or flight instinct. Except for a little more extreme. You might want to talk to someone about how you can program your body into resorting to more normal means of stress release." The more Cass talks, the more into this theory she gets. And she starts to get an idea for herself. "Oh, well, thanks, but it's all cleaned up. And I just hired someone, so I'm pretty good on help for right now. Really, it wasn't completely your fault. Well, it /was/ your fault, but it wasn't something you meant to do. Don't worry about it."

Hrmm. That's what Mohinder said as well, but of course, she wont mention that at the moment. "Well, that makes sense..but it's not like I want to fight or flee when I start studying.." Claudine says with another soft chuckle while idly running her fingers through her hair once more. "But yes, I do know it's my fault, that's why I'm offering to help out for a little. I mean, I wouldnt work for free forever, but ya know.."

Cass laughs. "No, I know. But what normally happens to your body under stressful situations is that you sweat, start to shake, maybe, and experience acute and heightened senses. What /your/ body does is start to make things…" she realizes she's starting to talk a little loud and lowers her voice. "It starts to make things shake." She smiles. "I'm grateful for the offer…but I'm not even sure what I'd have you do. All the books are cleaned up and I wouldn't feel right making you work here without being paid. Even if it was for payment for something else. Maybe you could just owe me for later? If someone else mucks up my store I'll give you a call and you can help me clean up. How's that sound?"

"Fair enough!" Claudine says with a warm smile, seeming quite sincere in her offer as she looks down at her watch and realizes the time. "Oh shoot, I should get going..I have to study a bit more for my midterm tomorrow. well, I'll see you later!" she says with a friendly wave before heading out.

"Alright. Deal." Cass gives the woman a smile and then remembers something. "Oh, hey, also. I should warn you that I heard there are people out there who are trying to kidnap people like you and…I don't know what. Do things to them. Be careful, alright?" She's just doing her duty to keep people informed. She doesn't want more Elianas or Janes to get taken by the Company because they're ignorant. "I'll see you later, then!"

That last bit definitely catches her by surprise as she thought this woman was just someone who didnt really know anything. She turns around with her brows raised with a bit of disbelief, almost choking. "W-what?"

"Yeah." Cass' friendly demeanor is replaced with one that is much more serious. "It's scary to think about, really, but they just snatch people off the street or something. I don't know if it's big black vans or something a little less stereotypical, but I've heard some scary things. Just…keep alert." That's her own little warning. "I know I sound like a crazy person working in a crazy bookstore, but just keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Like…muggers or something."

"That..sounds..preposterous…." Claudine says it more to herself than anything else. "But..um..yeah.." not quite sure what to say at the moment. If this woman who just owns a bookstore knows about the Company. geeesh. WORST SEEKRIT ORGANIZATION EVARR!!!!111eleventy. And with that, she heads out the door..

Cass frowns, figuring that she didn't really push how dangerous these people really are. "I know. Just…don't mind me. Conspiracy theories everywhere." Owning a bookstore does put her in a strange position. "I'll hopefully see you later!"

And with that, Claudine heads outside the door and starts walking for a good bit as she flips out her cellphone. A certain number is called and she changes demeanor completely, gonig from sheepish little girl to a confident young woman, "Yeah..so get this. The owner of Enlightenment Books knows about us..either that or she's been with her books with conspiracy theories too long. Either way, wanting to know whether I should keep an eye on her or not. Salonga out.." and with that, she hangs up…

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