Groovy Tunes, Saturday

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie had left her notebook at home, and was just playing with the kittens today while waiting for customers.

Tara MacLean, Sarah McLachlan, and Loreena McKennit are playing on the speakers.

Groovy Tunes is open.

Comments

Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

...

Re: Talk to Charlie

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel had stopped by Charlie's room but no one seemed to be home. Remembering that radio said she worked at the record store, Isabel decided to take a walk into town.

"Hey Charlie..."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Isabel, hi." Charlie looked up from tickling Mopsy, and smiled hesitantly at Isabel. "How's it going?"

Re: Talk to Charlie

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'm okay," she smiled. "How about you? That's the big question."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Embarrassed, but okay. Mostly." Charlie turned red, then asked, "How's Peter? Is he all right? I'm scared to even go near him, I should call...."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"He's worried mostly," Isabel sighed. "But I think I've managed to convince him that hiding in his room forever isn't an option."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie hid her face in her hands, and shook her head. "I'm so, so sorry. It wasn't his fault, he didn't know, and it's my fault because I couldn't control it, and he shouldn't be the one hiding in his room!"

Re: Talk to Charlie

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"No, no, no. Charlie, it's not your fault. It could have happened with anyone," she told her.

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie shook her head, feeling upset about how badly she'd scared Peter, and how close he'd come to getting hurt. "Anyone who can hurt people with a thought, and don't warn other people. Sure. That's true."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Isabel asked. She thought she understood, but she wanted to hear it from Charlie.

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie fiddled with the cash register keys, and swallowed. "I don't even like thinking about it. Or dealing with it. And I don't want-- I didn't want to use it. The firestarting. And I didn't want to explain it all to people, about why not, and..." She shrugged, giving Isabel a weary look. "I thought I could just pretend it didn't exist, I guess."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"When I came here? I just wanted to be a normal girl. I didn't want to think about home planets, destinies, aliens, or alien hunters" she said, nodding slowly. "So I understand exactly what you were trying to do."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders had been taking his Glider the long way around the island -- all the way down Apocalypse and then back -- to Turtle and Canary, intent on spending that gift certificate he'd gotten on more baking supplies, when he decided to take a turn down Unicorn Street instead of continuing on to Griffin Way. Slowing his speed so he didn't smack into a building, he happened to glance into the store and catch sight of Charlie.

His conversation with Isabel yesterday rang a bell, and he parked the Glider outside the store. Now was as good a time as any to talk to her, he figured as he walked in.

"Charlie," he said, running a hand through his hair in a futile attempt to do something about the chronic mess up there. "How's it going?"

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Hi, Anders." Charlie grinned at the way his hair looked, and patted one of the kittens. Kittens were comfort. "Um... okay, I guess. How's it going with you?"

Re: Talk to Charlie

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Eh, slow day, but I'm good." He shrugged for all of a millisecond before he noticed the kittens and a grin flashed across his face. With surprising delicacy, he asked, "How've you been?"

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Been better." Charlie flashed a quick smile, looking back down at the kitten, who was making adorable fierce faces. "You heard the Radio, hunh?"

Re: Talk to Charlie

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders chuckled at the kitten's expressions, and shook his head. "No, I don't actually listen to the radio more than once in a long time," he admitted. "I . . . sort of heard from Isabel what went down, and then I was passing by, so I thought I'd stop in and say hi."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie smiled, touched. "That was nice of you. Thanks. I'm-- well, I'm not freaking out any more." She rubbed the kitten's head. "Just really, really glad Peter didn't get hurt. Or anyone else, either."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders looked down at his hands, then spread them in a self-effacing gesture. "I can only imagine. Don't have any powers myself, so I'm not gonna pretend I have any useful advice to give, or anything like that. But, y'know, I'm around if you need to talk to someone, and that's a standing offer." He remembered how Bridge had felt after the djinn had used his psychic abilities to hurt people, and how scared he'd been afterward of his own powers. "Thought maybe it might just help to know that . . . well, I wouldn't be scared of you."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie bit her lip, and took a breath. "It does. And it doesn't." She looked up, some of the unhappiness on her face. "I'm scared of the firestarting. It's this huge, big thing, and I barely know how to stop it. And now I have to learn how, or something like what happened to Peter could happen again. Or, or, if I had my body switched, like Alec and Dean did-- it could be so much worse than it was, you have no idea."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"I really don't have any idea," conceded Anders. "I kind of wish I did, and I kind of wish I didn't. If I had a power like that, I'd be scared too. And . . . I think that's a good thing. The being scared. I'd be worried if you weren't. Does that make sense?"

Re: Talk to Charlie

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. I'm not all, 'muahaha, let me threaten you with my crazy power, woo.' It's more 'holy crap I almost set the park on fire.'" Charlie smiled a little. "But I wouldn't have made it out of being a toddler if I'd been all power-mad."

Re: Talk to Charlie

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Well, you made it this far." Anders gave her an encouraging smile. "And now -- you've probably heard this already, but now you're around people who can probably help you with that."

Play with the kittens, listen to the CD's

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Wander around and look at stuff in the store on your own.

OOC

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Around all day today.