Calen Gaud [2430-1-1-Sat-2pm]

[Cassandra Nida]

Cass wandered through the streets of Antheia with her hood down, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine on her face. There were few few viewscreens in sight, and the few she had seen weren't showing Cass' face. Instead, it cycled forecasts, commercials and music. Unlike the Top, Antheia had a focus on the organic rather than the mechanic. That explained why she'd had such a hard time finding a place to buy new tools.

Her bag was loaded down with cash, as much as she could legally withdraw from her father's hidden account. With the money on hand, she already felt a load off her shoulders. She wouldn't have to worry about passage for a while, and what was most important, she could afford to buy the parts she desperately wanted.

The little store was like much of the other stores, with a curved doorway and a decor that relied more on greens and browns than polished steel. But inside all those display cases, she saw the bits and pieces she knew so well. Like a child approaching a toy store, Cass smiled as she rested her hands on a display case and peered inside at the sleek metal rods, the delicate wiring, all that lovely gold and steel.

There was a catalogue to her right, lying on one case. It wasn't even chained down. Antheia really had a nicer crowd here. She went over to it and started flipping through the pages, noting what was available in store and what had to be special ordered. Cass skipped the things that would need ordering, and using the DadPadd given to her by Klove, she began recording numbers and quantities that she'd need to give the clerk.

[Booker]

Booker was looking around the streets. The buildings were similar to the ones on Terra, just a lot smaller. He had never seen such a vast landscape with a city still in view. He was so giddy about being on a new planet for the first time. Especially one so beautiful as Antheia. He made sure to say 'hi' to everyone he saw. Usually when he tried this he got weird looks and sometimes threats from impolite people. He was surprised when people actually smiled or even said 'hi' back.

Booker finally noticed Cass walk by and go right into a shop that appeared to be a parts shop. Why would she want to go in there? Was she interested in mechanics? That would be cool. Booker has never seen many female mechanics. She was always so quiet and distant that he hardly knew anything about her. He wanted to see if she'd talk to him now. She may have been sick before and that was why she was feeling anti-social.

He entered the store after her. His attention was taken by all that the store contained. He looked back and forth at the walls. Then he remembered that he came in here because of Cass. He walked over to her. She was looking in a catalogue. "Hay Cassie! What are you doing!" he suddenly said pretty loudly.

[Cassandra Nida]

Cass was oblivious to anyone else in the store, or the sound of anyone entering after her. She was too focused on the catalogue and the wonderful parts within. She could already see her new arms taking form, the wonderful light alloys that wouldn't be such a burden to her shoulders.

So when Booker spoke, she nearly jumped a foot in the air. She turned around, feeling like a kid with their hand caught in the cookie jar. Booker was still smiling at her, like he hadn't just given her a heart attack.

"i-i'm." She swallowed and tried to think of what to tell him. Should she lie? No, no way, that was just a bad idea. If she did, she'd have to remember it later. Don't be suspicious, she told herself, don't be an idiot. "shopping." She finally managed to spit out. "i'm doing some shopping."

[Booker]

"In a mechanics shop? That's not exactly the kind of store girls usually go to." He said, laughing. It was odd that she had decided to explore such a store but there was usually a good reason that just hadn't revealed itself yet.

"What are you shopping for?" Booker didn't need to know he was just trying to strike up some conversation. He couldn't think of anything better to talk about. Then he thought maybe she didn't want to talk. Well, too late now.

[Cassandra Nida]

Cass felt a flare of annoyance. The few times she'd gone out to physical stores with her father, she'd run into similar attitudes. Men who talked to her father instead of her, as if Cass didn't know what she wanted, or boys telling her there was a dress shop two stores down that she'd like better. "What kind of store do girls usually go to?" She snapped irritably and automatically, before realizing that she had just said something stupid. "sorry. nevermind."

"i'm just getting some parts." She turned back to the catalogue and finished keying in the parts she needed. Cass would have liked to look longer, but the quicker she was in and out of here, the better. Maybe she could find something shiny to distract Booker. Cass uploaded her order to the store's filling system, and a second later it popped up on the clerk's till. He got to work finding her parts.

[Booker]

Booker became confused when she snapped back at him. I was just joking around... I didn't mean to make her angry. Booker didn't like it when people were mad, especially when they were mad at him. He wasn't sure how to talk to Cass without annoying her.

"Parts for what?" He asked nicely covering up the fact that he was still weirded out that a girl was shopping in a mechanics store. He was curious. Then he thought about the cat and how it was murdered by such curiosity. Maybe he should leave the Cass alone and just return to the ship. "Are you into mechanics?" He said as he put his hand on her shoulder.

[Cassandra Nida]

Booker was way too nosey for his own good. And apparently blind to body language. Cass just wanted her parts so she could leave and ditch Booker and maybe message Klove and talk to him. He didn't ask her questions she didn't want to answer.

The hand on her shoulder scared her more than she wanted to admit. And so, when Booker touched her, she reacted purely out of fear and shoved him back. She could hear the servos in her limbs whine a bit as they hit something substantially heavier than they were used to. But Booker rocked back and Cass stumbled back as well.

oh no oh no you just blew it her mind raced. Nobody should have been over to push over a big guy, especially not a girl who looked like she was as light as a feather. In a blind panic, Cass just quickly headed to the till, trying to pretend like she hadn't just pushed him over. Just pay and get your parts and get out.

The clerk must have had his head turned, because he smiled at Cass like nothing was wrong. She handed him a stack of credits. He frowned, but took them anyway. Cass grabbed the parts of the counter, distributed through four reinforced cloth bags. Under any other circumstance, she would have asked Booker to help carry them, just so it didn't look like she was managing an impossible feat. But that sure didn't matter now.

Before Booker could get his wits back about him, she grabbed the bags, ignored the way the clerk's smile turned to a confused stare, and headed out of the shop and into the streets.

[Booker]

Booker was incredibly caught off guard when what he thought was going to be a simple push from Cass turned into a shove with massive force. "What the-!" he blurted as he stumbled back and fell down on his back, almost hitting a rack hanging on the wall. What in the universe just happened? She had knocked him down just by pretty much touching him. How does a girl like that do such a thing?

He shook his head in disbelief as Cass quickly hurried out of the store. He stood up and looked at the clerk in a "did'you jus'see dat?" kind of face. But the man must have not been watching because he looked confused as to what he meant by the look he gave. Something was up. Cass was maybe, 115lbs give or take, and she managed to knock down a 225lbs man. He didn't know if he should follow her, return the ship and tell everyone, or keep it to himself.

He decided to go to the Adeala but wasn't sure if he should say anything or not. He shook his head the entire trip back.