Another hot day, thanks to carbon. He thought how exciting it would be when gondolas replaced taxicabs in Manhattan. And where would the several billion rats migrate? Fun stuff, but he would probably just have to wait 30 years or so to find out.

He had seen the shop where the medium practiced. Anyone with half an ear to the streets and a penchant for the obscure or supernatural knew of it. He had believed he had no reason to go there, since most of his life was a mystery due to long hospital stays. Not to mention the possible vengeful spirit from the camps, who would be able to see him beyond that accursed hood.

This was a visit for pleasure though, not business. He had found a whopping eighty-three dollars in the satchel's hidden pouch. A trip to the Salvation Army store prior to this one netted him a garbage bag of clothes an he still had fifty bucks. The amount of money people would pay for a label was insane.

He entered the shop and looked around. He was here to buy some items to help him meditate and possibly to make his room a little homier.He tied the top of the garbage bag shut out of respect for the shopowner. He didn't want he or she to believe that he was there to fill up on freebies.

We both lie silent and still in the dead of the night....

Though we both lie close together, we feel miles apart inside...

was it something I said or somethin' I did, did the words not come out right...

Though I tried not to hurt you...

Jingle jangle

Tarin looked up, song stopping mid verse as the door opened in the front of the shop. Tarin stood from the area of floor he'd been cleaning on his hands and knees and groaned softly at the crick in his back. He'd decided in the last few days that he was getting old. Too old for all of this, the idea that he'd gotten from Rupert was still in the back of his head, he was going to find that mansion and figure out exactly what he could do to make sure nothing ever happened again. It was a good day though, and Tarin wasn't going to ruin it by dwelling, besides, he had a customer.

Pushing up his flannel sleeves to his elbows as he walked, exposing the tattoos winding around his arms and cooling him down considerably. It was warm out now, but New York still had a chill in the morning, so along with his long shorts, Tarin wore long sleeved shirts. Into the front of the shop he went, to see a young man carrying a trash bag....a trash bag.

Tarin tilted his head, hoping the fading black eyes wouldn't turn the kid off too much from what he was there to do.

Tarin held out his hand and spoke in a friendly and loud voice, "Hi there...Tarin Brooks. Is there something I can help you with?"

A man came out not long after the chime rang. He didn't look so well, but Garrett had no place to judge anyone. The shopkeeper's eyes went to the garbage bag and then to Garrett. Yep, he probably thinks I am a bum now., he thought to himself. He introduced himself as Tarin Brooks, so Garrett approached him and said, "Hello. Garrett Wills. I had just done some shopping at the thrift store. Could I put this behind the counter while I have a look around?" He wished he hadn't explained himself, but at least this cleared the air.

" I actually came in to see if you might have a few items. I know that you do oracles of some sort here, but I am really just looking for some items to use in meditation and trance." Looking around the shop,there were probably many items he could use. But, of course, the shopkeeper knows his own shop better than anyone else. Best to wait and see what happened next.

A wide smile broke across Tarin's face as the kid explained the trash bag, "You don't have to explain to me..." he said, chuckling, "Half my wardrobe now comes from the Salvation Army...and sure, behind the counter is fine."

Tarin's smile fell slightly though as the kid explained that he was looking for items to use for meditation and trance. Tarin's eyes traveled to the various items that he kept in stock specifically for instances like this. The problem was...he really didn't know a whole lot about the items.

"Uh...yeah...well...." Tarin said, running a hand through his hair and hissing slightly as he jammed a fingernail into the lump that was still there from Rupert's pistol whipping.

"We've got...that stuff over there..." Tarin said, gesturing vaguely at the incense in one corner of the shop where a few other things were as well...

Suddenly, Tarin felt guilty, the guy really wanted to buy some things. Tarin sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, smiling apologetically.

"I have to be honest with you...I'm here for the spirits...I really can see them and talk to them. I don't know a whole lot about the other things I sell in here. If you can puzzle out what you want...I'll give you a huge discount, because I'm not going to be any help."

Good thing he was honest and true. This was a necessity to ride the rivers of Tao, but he could easily tell this man whatever he liked. Maybe it would be best to educate him instead. He listened and smiled, saying" Well, that has a common thread with my own looking, as I want to make my room at the Mansion more livable and more of what I would like to live in." He walked over to the corner in question and beckoned the shopkeeper over.

There were actually a few items here of use. "Incense is good for meditation. The specific scents can invoke various feelings or emotions. I see you have a few boxes of Nag Champa. Keep this stuff stocked and you will have plenty of customers. It's genuine from India. I see you have some mirrors for your display here. In my own path, I can use mirrors to direct the enrgy flow of a room using the art of Feng Shui. You might also consider some various cloroed candles, tapered. I don't need them but any of the Pagan/Wiccan crowd would. They are fairly cheap to purchase but you could make a good profit."

Luckily the guy wasn't in a mood to call him a scam artist or simply leave the shop on the premise that Tarin didn't know a damn thing about the stuff he was selling to people. Even better, the guy started giving him information, good information, about the items in the shop. As the younger guy spoke, an idea started to form in Tarin's head then he heard the word mansion and the world seemed to stop spinning for a second. Tarin inhaled sharply

"You live in the mansion?!" Tarin said, voice, hushed but edged with extreme excitement. "I've been going insane trying to figure out how to get in touch with people there. "

Tarin looked around the shop...the registration act had ended, but he'd been hiding for so many years it was difficult to not be paranoid sometimes, "I have trouble with my...talents sometimes, bad things happen and people get hurt. Someone told me that I might be able to get help at the mansion. Can you tell me more?"

Tarin looked up and around the shop then back at the items the young man had been so interested in. The idea from earlier popped back into his head and he regarded the other guy. "Also...what would you say to a little work off the books? Obviously I don't know much about this stuff. What if you came in a few times and taught me what I need to know in order not to embarrass myself? I also might in the market for a shop clerk. Want to see if it works out? "

"You live in the mansion?!"

As Garrett was explaining the items, Tarin seemed to do a double take and asked him about the Mansion."Yeah," replied Garrett. Was it that big of a deal? "You are welcome to ride back with me if you like, provided you pay the cab back." Seemed fair enough. This would also save him some money for who knows what. " Does that mean you are a mutant?" Garrett asked pointedly.He rubbed the coins in his pocket, watching the threads of the world become sewn.

"It's fine if you are. I seem to find others like myself. Garrett Wills, a pleasure." He extended his arm in greetings to a brother mutant. " My own abilities pretty much hurt people. I have gone there to learn the positive uses for it and for better control. Plus I was homeless two days ago, so everything is a step up." He smiled, hoping to relieve the man's apparent anxiety.

As if the meeting was not enough of a sign, Tarin was now offering Garrett a job, tax free. "As for employment, I could use the extra cash and would enjoy working in a place that suits my lifestyle. Not only will I keep you informed, but whatever profits we make, we can buy the kind of things that will really get people in here. You can use your talents as an extra thing, by appointment only, with the shop being for items of interest." He was fully on track with the idea. Glass showcases with Tarot decks and pendulum quartz. Books for all types of practitioners, drums, orbs...the list went on and on in his mind. "If it works for you, it definitely works for me." Life just kept getting better.

He could go to the mansion? Right that minute if he paid the cab fare? Good god, Tarin almost leaped at the option, that is until he thought about what he would actually be agreeing to. He'd be agreeing to walk into a building full of mutants with well honed abilities and admitting to three murders. Whether his powers were responsible or not there was always the chance that he'd be viewed as some sort of rabid dog that needed put to sleep. For the greater good and all that.

"I think I'll have to rain check, but it's good to know that I've finally found someone who actually knows where the place is."

Tarin plastered the smile back on his face as the younger man got excited, then more excited about the prospect of having a job. Then he got carried away, and Tarin chuckled out loud, not in a patronizing way, but with genuine amusement. "Look kid...like I said, I really do see and talk to the spirits. I don't see anything changing in the grand scheme of things...but if you'd like a job, we can work something out. I'd love to learn more about the world I'm apparently a part of. So, what do you think?"

Tarin had to stop him, he was getting pretty excited. Well, he was. Everything kept falling in his lap just right, it was hard not to get a little giddy from the ride. " Oh, yeah, of course. I didn't mean to get ahead of myself. It's just a great opportunity and this place has alot of potential is all." He shuffled a bit, uneasy that he may have talked too much.

"But I would definitely like the chance for a job. Yes. I'm glad it's under the table because I have no paperwork anymore. It's all caught up with the state." He corrected himself so he didn't seem like a felon or something. " I was in foster care and group homes until last year. Then I was homeless, so I didn't really have ID anymore. Besides that, I don't really want any government identification or I might find myself back in the camps." Too much information? He hoped not.

"Hey, don't apologize kid, a little enthusiasm around here is going to be nice. Things have been a little...down lately." Tarin said, verbalizing the understatement of the year as he stood in his shop doing the most impromptu thing he'd done in ages.

The young man's story continued and Tarin watched with legitimately rapt interest at the progression of events in his life. Sympathy flooded through him and Tarin sensed a true kindred spirit in the room with him. He nodded his head and almost reached out to touch the kid, but had gotten so used to avoiding contact with Lee that he refrained.

"You have no idea how much I can sympathize with you Garrett. I spent my whole life running until I got here. Luckily I made it to 17 before I....ran...so I didn't end up in the system. " Tarin paused, wondering if it was wise to give so much info to someone going back to that mansion...that place that could be full of people waiting to take out someone like him. It didn't matter by this point though, Tarin decided, the damage that was going to be done ,was done. Might as well continue being friendly. It could help later...even if things went south.

"I know what you mean about the papers too...trying to use my powers to help people out got me in some trouble a couple times and I had to learn how to get by. If this all works out I can put you in touch with someone who does really good fakes so that you can set up a bank account and all that good stuff without having to worry about anything."

Well...if he'd been trying not to inciminate himself...he'd done a piss poor job, but for the first time in a while, Tarin felt good about something he'd done.

"So yeah...start Monday?" he asked, grinning and crossing his arms over his chest. "We can talk about what all this is...and as an advance in pay you can take whatever it was you wanted to make your room feel more homey."

Tarin had turned out to be quite a guy, besides an understanding prospective employer. He had been in the state system like Garrett. Well, he may have been in the homes and in the system, but probably not tethered up to wires and equipment so much. But it was still a similarity. And he could certainly talk. It was probably due to being holed up in here by himself, but really, with nothing in here but a medium, why would people come in all the time? He hoped Tarin would really let him get some things rolling here, so he could not only see profit but some real activity.

These things were for the future though, and the practicing Taoist lived in the present, thereby creating tomorrow's future today. The idea of a bank account sounded promising. One where he could make a dual life, one where he was not Garrett Wills, the neural manipulating man, but simply Garett Wills the man. He had always felt fortunate that his abilities didn't leave him with claws, wings or many other mutations he had seen in the camps.

But to the matter at hand, Monday sounded very good. " Monday sounds great. I look forward to it, Tarin. And thanks. " He smiled and began putting incense and mirrors into the bag. " It should really turn out well. But don't worry, my ambition is just that. I realize you are the owner here. We can start slow and see how things go as far as expansion. Just happy to have somewhere to go all day. The Mansion is nearly rebuilt, so I need to have something to do besides hang out with kids." He chuckled a bit. It may have sounded a little crass, but it was the truth.

Tarin listened as Garrett continued to talk about the benefits of their business relationship. This did sound like it was going to be a beneficial situation for both of them.

Monday sounded good to the other guy too and Tarin smiled and shrugged his shoulders, then waved dismissively at the explanation. "Don't worry about it so much, seriously. I'm sure that everything is going to be alright. I've had the shop for a year and its been more than enough to support myself and...someone else. So you're an added bonus."

At that exact moment, the door jingled again and Tarin looked up to see one of the regulars, with her ever present sister who had died in a violent car wreck and failed to move on because of her sister's guilt over the matter. They'd made serious progress in the previous weeks and Tarin felt that the woman was probably ready to actually speak to her sister today.

"Mrs. Conner, come on in. I wasn't expecting you this early today." Tarin said, moving forward to welcome the woman, "I'm just finishing up with some business. Why don't you guys go on back and have a seat. I'll join in a just a few minutes."

The woman moved obligingly and Tarin smiled apologetically at his guest, "I don't mean to kick you out, but can we wrap this up and finish up details on Monday? It really was fantastic to meet you, and I think we can look forward to a lovely working relationship. I'd offer to let you watch and see what I really do, but this is a particularly emotional case."