The constant molecular vibration abated somewhat and then suddenly stopped all together. Ghost huffed an immediate sigh of relief. Belatedly, she realized that may have been rude.

"Uh... um... yeah... yeah that'll be it I do believe." Luke spoke slowly, he had immediately lost quite a bit of confidence. Ghost blinked at him. Had she done something wrong? She reached out to her element creating a thin filmy structure. Starting to replicate the process that She had seen Zephyr create. "I... uh... can't think of anything else. Um... thanks... thanks for your help.... Uh... since I have the cane would you mind carrying them to the counter? Once their in a bag I, uh, should be fine."

Ghost frowned, but took the two boxes into her hands. "I'm sorry... I rushed you and..." before she could apologize much more Kaz was there, putting his hand on the man's shoulder. "What did you do just now." There was a slight change of pressure when the filmy double layered bubble was complete. The void of air between the invisible bubble structures ensured that this conversation was private and yet still oxygenated on the interior. Any sound beyond a 6 foot radius was now impossible to hear, nullified by the vacuum she'd created. If Luke were to activate his sonar sense again most of the sound would not bounce back to him. Almost all of it would die at the edge of the bubble where the vibrations met the vacuum.

"Peace, Kaz..." Vega... no, Ghost said his name with a slightly pleading, partially reproachful tone. Did he have to rush in at the slightest change? Ghost was sure Luke was not trouble. It seemed a natural and constant thing for him to send off these vibrations and he had graciously cut it off. "The molecular vibrations have stopped. Do you have to accost him now?" Her demeanor was different now that she knew they were having a perfectly secure conversation. Well, assuming neither of the men in her bubble were wired. "Speak freely, but do not wander." She cautioned them.

"I am sorry, Sir, for acting strangely." Ghost dipped her head politely, speaking cautiously to both men. "Your gift... I thought it just might make me go crazy. I am an air elemental, Sir... Kaz." She nodded to them each in turn. She was trying to explain things before they got all angry at each other. "I feel every molecule especially when they a go a twitter with sound... even if I cannot hear the sound."

For a blind man to be touched unexpectedly is surprising enough... for Luke, who was used to sensing people approach it was almost a heart attack worthy moment as Kaz layed a hand firmly on his shoulder.

"What did you do just now?"

For a moment the shock almost made him lose his tenuous control of the on/off switch in his mind but fighting off the racing heartbeat Luke held onto it with all his strength.

"Don't sneak up on me or I might not be able to keep holding in." Luke said quietly through gritted teeth. Behind his sunglasses his eyes remained closed in concentration, simply doing his best to not afflict anyone nearby.

"Peace, Kaz... The molecular vibrations have stopped. Do you have to accost him now? Speak freely, but do not wander. I am sorry, Sir, for acting strangely. Your gift... I thought it just might make me go crazy. I am an air elemental, Sir... Kaz. I feel every molecule especially when they a go a twitter with sound... even if I cannot hear the sound."

So that was why the girl had been so nervous around him. If she could truly feel every molecule then it must have been hard for her to understand and handle even when Luke had his reigned in tightly. The... air-elemental had done something around them. Without warning the sound from the street outside as well as sound from within the bookstore was cutoff. Turning his head slightly Luke listened intently but other than the heartbeats coming from the two people standing next to him there was nothing.

"I'm blind but I've been gifted with a type of sonar sense that allows me to see the world around me though I'm sure it's quite different than how either of you se it." Luke spoke softly in response to the girls politness, "The sonar uses a frequency that promotes uneasiness and most people simply shrug it off especially if there's enough ambient noise."

Turning his head towards where 'Vega' had been standing when she spoke, he nodded his head forward in a slight bow, "I'm sorry my gift afflicted you in such a way. I'm afraid I didn't know that air-elementals even existed. But... if one of you can show me to the counter I'll be more than hapy to make my purchases and leave you alone."

It was amazing to think that his sonar could hurt someone... while it was useful knowledge if he ever had to combat someone that was an air-elemental Luke knew that he would have to carefully consider the way he used his gift in the future. Perhapse it would be necessary for him to practice more with his sonar completely disabled. "And I always thought my gift was one of the safer ones that wouldn't really hurt anyone else." He murmurd quietly to himself in obvious surprise and disbelief.

The man seemed to jump at Kaz's touch. Kaz was slightly surprised, though he wasn't sure why he thought the man wouldn't react. "Don't sneak up on me or I might not be able to keep holding in." Kaz took his hand off the man's shoulder and stepped back a few feet.

When Vega basically told him to 'chill out', he raised an eyebrow at her. He hadn't intended for there not to be peace, he just wanted to know what had happened. Kaz listened intently as Vega was kind enough to explain what had happened. He nodded slightly. <That makes sense I suppose.>

"The sonar uses a frequency that promotes uneasiness and most people simply shrug it off especially if there's enough ambient noise."

"That explains what I was hearing then. Sorry about the hand. I've dealt with enough mind manipulating mutants, that when I see such a marked change in people I get wary. When it stopped so suddenly..." Kaz shook his head slightly and let out a long deep breath.

Kaz heard quite clearly what the man said. "You'd be right in your thinking. It is one of the safer ones, if not one of the safest...for now. If what I was hearing was accurate, you could try to slow the rate at which you produce the sonar. Not sure if that would work or if it's possible. Or focus it in a specific direction and area instead of all around you constantly."

Ghost was so glad when Kaz didn't do anything drastic... actually he hadn't done much of anything, but Ghost was beginning to be wary of people who she couldn't read very well. Kaz just seemed to be one of those people. Fast and twitchy... she was sure he could do something horrible before she'd even realized he'd moved. Ghost blinked away her pessimistic musings and tried to reassure herself that though these were fellow mutants of unknown temperament, they were in a public place. That typically made things a bit stickier when attempted murders went down.

Ghost nodded along as the blind man explained his sense. She'd figured something had to be going one, but once he had said it everything made more sense. Ghost also noticed that the man's tone had taken a softer turn once Kaz had removed his hand. She wondered if Kaz just naturally made people uneasy sort of like the man's sonar made her uneasy.

"That explains what I was hearing then. Sorry about the hand. I've dealt with enough mind manipulating mutants, that when I see such a marked change in people I get wary. When it stopped so suddenly..." Kaz shook his head slightly and let out a long deep breath.

"Mind manipulation?" Ghost squeaked. That had to suck. How was anyone supposed to be able to themselves from their own mind?

The blind man turned his head to her an nodded politely, "I'm sorry my gift afflicted you in such a way. I'm afraid I didn't know that air-elementals even existed. But... if one of you can show me to the counter I'll be more than happy to make my purchases and leave you alone."

"It isn't your fault." She shook her head and automatically offered her arm to Luke so that she could lead him to the counter, "You had no way of knowing, and I would hate to chase you off. If you would like to stay, I can think of something to keep the insanity factor down, promise."

"And I always thought my gift was one of the safer ones that wouldn't really hurt anyone else."

"You didn't hurt me." She assured him quickly.

"You'd be right in your thinking. It is one of the safer ones, if not one of the safest..." Ghost couldn't help but laugh when both Kaz and herself answered what might have been a personal mumbling.

"Boy, did you pick the right bookstore! You ran into two people with obnoxiously good hearing." She was all smiles and cheer now that a potential crisis had been averted. "Is everyone ready to behave again? Privacy bubble needs to come down soon." Ghost looked around the store. No bystanders or other employees yet, but that didn't mean that it couldn't happen. It would be bad for someone to stumble upon the three people who could be seen clearly, but not heard at all.

"Thank you for your kindness but I do need to be going. I'm expected at my office within the next hour." Luke said, his voice gaining at least a little bit of confidence as he took the young woman's arm although his eyes remained knitted together in concentration behind his glasses.

"And here I thought I had pretty good control of this." Luke thought to himself as his mind continued to desperately fight off the urge to just let the sonar fly out of him once more. It was a building pressure that kept fighting against his defenses, getting stronger and stronger wich each passing moment. He had no idea if Vega could protect herself from the sound but he knew that his tenuous grip had no way of lasting much longer.

"I appreciate your suggestions... Kaz. I'll have to include that in my training for the future." Luke said with a nod to the other man.

He knew that most sonar devices didn't put out continual waves of sound... instead they used short 'pings' at predeterminted intervals. If he could learn that kind of control as well as some kind of directional control it would be yet another step to mastering the ability. Up until that moment he had thought that he had almost perfect control but now, as he strained to keep his ability turned off for the moment, it was quite obvious that this was not the case.

"I hope the rest of your project goes well and perhapse I'll meet you both again some time. My name is Luke... Luke Jacobs." He said, a touch of strain appearing in his voice as he continued to fight his own ability.

The pressure in his mind was slowly increasing, beginning to be a pain right in his temple. He remember feeling something like this back when the power had first started and he had tried to sleep while still sensing everything around him. Sensory overload had been the apparent cause back then but perhapse it was more than that. Maybe the first time it had been like a muscle he had never used before and now it was a muscle he had never used in this way before. The sound of blood rushing in his own ears, accompanies by his own heartbeat was becoming overwhelming.

"I really need to check out Vega... before this all starts again." He finally admitted, the strain becoming even more apparent in his voice. This was something he had never even attempted before and while it might become easier down the road, now was not yet that time.

((OOC: It's a bit short, sorry XD ))

While they were settling the goings on, Kaz pulled a business card from his wallet. He found a paper-clip on the counter, bending it so he could use the end, he began to 'write' a number in so on the opposite side the numbers would be raised. He didn't know if it would work, but it was worth a shot.

Vega squeaked, "Mind manipulation?" It brought a small smile to his face. She might have been a bit disturbed by the though. <Maybe she didn't know they existed...I suppose it's possible.> "Yeah, I'll tell ya later."

"I hope the rest of your project goes well and perhaps I'll meet you both again some time. My name is Luke... Luke Jacobs."

"I'm not sure if it will help or not, but I own a weapons research and development company. If you need a small scale or personal sonar to help figure things out, I can get one for you." Kaz touched the card lightly to Luke's hand so he'd know where it was.

"Is everyone ready to behave again? Privacy bubble needs to come down soon." Kaz nodded to her. Go ahead."

Kaz stepped to the side to let Vega check Luke out. "Good luck."

"Thank you for your kindness but I do need to be going. I'm expected at my office within the next hour." Now it was Luke who was rushing. Ghost felt a bit guilty, but not that guilty. It had been very uncomfortable with his sonar going. She wondered how crazy it would have been if she had been incorporeal. Perhaps even her molecular structure would be part of his perception. She also wondered if he would be able to perceive her in that state. He would make an interesting training partner. Ghost was dying to expand her mental capacity for focusing on multiple things all at once. In Ghost's opinion, her mentality was the largest limit to her power.

"3, 2, 1." She dropped the 'privacy bubble' and immediately there was another change in pressure as the rest of the world's sounds immediately filtered in again. Vega kindly led Luke to the register with as much speed as she dared. She laid his hands on the counter and the boxes in front of him while she slipped around to duck beneath the counter and pop up on the other side.

Vega went through the motions of checking Luke out while the two men exchanged courtesies. Somehow it didn't surprise her that Kaz owned some kind of weapons or equipment company.

"My name is Luke... Luke Jacobs." Ghost smiled when he introduced himself in a manor reminiscent of Bond... James Bond. Now the strain was filtering into his voice and she felt guilty all over again.

"It was very nice to meet you Mister Jacobs. If you're ever at the Mansion, please, stop by and say hello. Err.. though I go by the name Ghost there."

"I really need to check out, Vega... before this all starts again."
"Right! Sorry!" She read the total to him and swiped the credit card he offered her, begging the machine to process things faster. As soon as it was all done she put the receipt in the bag and gently pressed the loop of the handles into Luke's hands.

"Hope to see you again Mister Jacobs! Sorry about all the erm... confusion."

"I'm not sure if it will help or not, but I own a weapons research and development company. If you need a small scale or personal sonar to help figure things out, I can get one for you." Kaz touched the card lightly to Luke's hand so he'd know where it was.

"Thank you very much for the offer." Luke replied after taking out his wallet and handing Vega his credit card. Slipping the busines card into one of the slots on his billfold the blind men then extracted two of his own business card, laying them on the counter so that both Vega and Kaz could see them. "And I'm with Jacobs & Jacobs Security so if there's anything I can do for either of you don't hesitate to call."

Turning back to the counter, Luke reached out carefully, finding the bags, receipt, and credit card as 'Ghost' handed them to him. As he slipped the wallet back into his pocket the young woman spoke once again.

"Hope to see you again Mister Jacobs! Sorry about all the erm... confusion."

"Please... it's just Luke." The blind man replied with the best smile he could muster. His concentration was wavering and he knew there was no way he could hold out much longer. "Both of you have a... a nice day."

Without another word the man turned and moved towards the door, finally allowing the sonar to release in what he hoped would be only a forward stream. From what his senses suddenly gave him it felt like most of the power and strength was streaming forward but he could tell at least a little had escaped behind going in the direction of Ghost. Moving more confidently Luke quickly slipped out into the street and dissapeared among the people that were moving up and down the street. The intial rush and pulse of power had died off and Luke found that he had once again regained control. Keeping the power down to only about twelve feet out, Luke resumed his normal pattern of monitoring everything around him even while his mind tried to digest what had just happened.

"I wonder what mansion she was talking about..." He pondered to himself as he continued down the street, "I guess if I ever want to meet her again I'll have to come back by the bookstore."

(OOC: And Luke has left the building. Thanks for the RP even if my part was kind of quick. :-D )

Kaz picked up one the business cards and put it in his pocket after looking it over. "Thank you very much for the offer. And I'm with Jacobs & Jacobs Security so if there's anything I can do for either of you don't hesitate to call." <I'll have to check into that.> "Thanks. I might just take you up on that offer some time."

Kaz kept silent for the rest of the time Luke was in the building. Watching and listening to Vega, or Ghost, and Luke. Once out of the store Luke seemed to regain his lost confidence as he weaved his way through and with the crowd outside. Offhandedly, "I think I'd go insane if I couldn't see."

Without turning towards her, "I know a few people who use an alias as their actual name. So which do you prefer, Vega or Ghost?" He turned to look at her and smiled. "So can you walk through walls or fly or do you wail and moan and get all scary like?" It was his attempt at lightening up the mood a bit. Kaz knew he was probably failing, but all he could do was try.

Ghost slid the business card underneath the register so that it wouldn't get lost. She didn't even feel if/when Luke returned to using his sonar sense. When solid, Ghost's link with her element wasn't nearly as strong. She cringed to think how this encounter would have gone had she been less than solid. Not that she ever planned to go incorporeal at work.

Offhandedly, Kaz mentioned that he would go crazy without his sense of sight and Ghost smiled. "I kinda know what it's like." She shrugged. It was hard to explain so she probably shouldn't have brought it up in the beginning. "Not that I'm blind, mind you." Ghost leaned forward on her elbows against the counter. "But for us senses are different, you know? Depending on your gift."

Kaz didn't bother turning towards her and for a moment Ghost wondered if he had some extra sense like her form vision. "I know a few people who use an alias as their actual name. So which do you prefer, Vega or Ghost?" He did smile at her now, turning to watch her reaction probably. This guy was a hard read.

Ghost fidgeted a bit and spoke very quietly. She knew he'd hear. "Vega is... uhm... well, it's just for work, you know. Work and school. After registration it's just not possible to run around introducing oneself as Ghost." She shrugged. "So I guess Ghost is my preferred name, but... I'm kind of at work - in case you hadn't noticed." She smiled and cleared her throat. She was very easy to get along with since she tended to believe the best of everyone. Luke had tried his best not to even discomfort her. Kaz was still kind even after he knew under what term she was classified. Her mood was sufficiently lightened.

"So can you walk through walls or fly or do you wail and moan and get all scary like?"
"Nope, nope, and nope." She answered playfully. "I'm not a very scary person as you can see. I just go a little see through sometimes."

She shrugged and returned to speaking normally. "So! You find anything else to buy, Mis-- eh... Kaz?"

Kaz listened to Ghost talk, making a sound of recognition as she did. "Yeah, same here to some extent. When this was healing," He pointed to the scars on the right side of his face, "I couldn't see anything through the bandages, it was one of the most disconcerting things I've ever dealt with."

"Vega is... uhm... well, it's just for work, you know. Work and school. After registration it's just not possible to run around introducing oneself as Ghost." She was fidgeting and speaking softly again which Kaz was starting to get use to already. "So I guess Ghost is my preferred name, but... I'm kind of at work - in case you hadn't noticed." While Ghost cleared her throat and smiled, Kaz's eyes narrowed slightly, his brow furrowed a bit and his own smile disappeared. Kaz was obviously slightly put off by her answer, but he respected her honesty.

He wanted to say something, say what he thought. How he despised that way of thinking and how he hated how the Mansion seemed to get people to think like that. <Why should we hide ourselves? There's no point in it.> Instead he sighed and mentally shook the thoughts from his mind and cleared the look on his face.

"I'm not a very scary person as you can see. I just go a little see through sometimes."

Kaz chuckled, "I can see that. You must play a mean game of hide and seek then, eh." He looked at the small pile of books on the counter. "I've found a few more yes. Though I was thinking of buying all the books just to be on the safe side." The last part was half a joke. The thought really had crossed his mind. "But really, I'll probably go and pick out a few more before I'm done."

Garrett had made his way into the city for two reasons. The nasty weather made him task oriented, not wanting to linger in the weather. He hadn't gone shopping for clothes for the upcoming colder weather, so he had a couple T-shirts layered and a jacket over that. His funds had been dwindling as well, nearly gone by now, hence his walking for most of the trip as well, short of the initial bus ride into the city. He felt fortunate that it was only a light drizzle, a solid rain would have made him miserable.

He walked by the medium shop first for reason number one. Money. It had been quite a while and though he had seen Tarin and Lee in the Infirmary during his waking moments and had heard of the accident in the shop, he felt he should speak to them directly. Winter was not the time to go quitting a job. The windows were covered inside and the sign was off. Tarin was probably recuperating at home. He got up close to the window and shielded his eyes to try to peek in, but couldn't see any damage. He shrugged and hoped he could speak to them before long, departing for reason number two.

Maya had told him that the book store wasn't too far away. He hadn't recalled it, so he stopped in the coffee shop that Tarin always went to and asked some of the intellectual types where the place was. After some odd glances and some banter, they directed him to the right place. He set out across the park, recalling that her name was Vega here. He kept repeating it like a mantra, as he was naturally inclined to call her Maya. Even Ghost seemed obtuse in his mouth, only Maya fit the beauty.

The shop appeared to be open and since Maya(Vega) wasn't at the Mansion, Garrett had to hope she was here and the whole trip hadn't been merely for exercise. He opened the door, the chimes announcing his entry. He looked around and found the smell of paper and the ambiance of the place appealing. He looked forward to visiting when he actually had book money. It seemed rather sparse as far as shoppers, save what appeared to be an older gentleman browsing in a corner. Garrett wiped the water from his head and face, drying his hands on the outer shirt.

He saw her bent over behind the counter either straightening or looking for something. He stood there at the counter for a moment, aware that she more than likely already knew of his presence. Having never seen her in pants, he couldn't help but admire the view. " Excuse me, Miss. I am looking for Vega Altair. I believe she works here. " He hadn't come empty handed, a hot oolong tea from the coffee shop placed on the counter for her.

When Kaz motioned to his facial scar she took teh time to really inspect it. It wasn't as rude once he'd pointed it out and she hadn't wanted to draw attention to her notice of the puckering skin earlier. "I couldn't see anything through the bandages, it was one of the most disconcerting things I've ever dealt with." Her sense was different, for one she could turn it on and off by changing her state, but she didn't feel like explaining to someone who did not know much of anything about her power. it would be like hopping into the middle of the story... much as Ghost felt that asking about Kaz's scar would be out of place. And still she wondered. The scars looked like slices from a sharp blade.

There had to be a good story there.

Kaz frowned after she'd explained as much as she was willing about her name. He shook his head to smooth the expression out almost as soon as she'd noticed it, but again ... she didn't feel like explaining about how she was dodging the government because she didn't want her family to find her. Maybe if Kaz became a better friend, but today was the first days she'd met him.

"...I was thinking of buying all the books just to be on the safe side... But really, I'll probably go and pick out a few more before I'm done."

The electronic chime sounded softly behind the counter and Ghost felt someone exit the revolving door. Someone with a familiar gait.

"Oh that reminds me." Vega ducked behind the counter a bit belatedly to fish around for the philosophy book that she had been pouring over. "I think you might want to look into some Philosophy compilation books. Man, I just had one around here somewhere. That'd be a good start for your ethics stuff." She'd forgotten that it was laying open on the counter still turned to the chapter on Justice. She wasn't exactly trying to hide from Garrett, but she was a bit nervous that he was about to call her Maya and blow what little cover she had.

"Excuse me, Miss. I am looking for Vega Altair. I believe she works here."

Ghost was ginning before she even looked up. She heard the distinctive sound of a paper cup setting down against the wooden counter and she gave up looking for the book and straightened out of curiosity. "You remembered..." She beamed at Garrett and then saw the sneaky book laying on the counter as plain as day right next to the cup Garrett had set down. "Oh!" She snatched up the book and offered it to Kaz. "Like this one. It has excerpts from major philosophical thinkers all the way back to Socrates and Plato all organized by topic. It doesn't present any definite point of view so you may like to see this kind of thing."

Ghost looked between Kaz and Garrett then. "Oh. Excuse me, Garret this is Kaz. Kaz, this is my favorite person, Garrett. He also lives at the Mansion." Hopefully she didn't have to any more plainly explain to each of them that they were all mutants here... well, excepting that old guy off in the corner. Ghost was pretty sure he was just browsing.

As soon as Kaz heard the chime of the door, he turned his head slightly to see who walked in, a relatively tall man with a bald head. "Oh that reminds me.I think you might want to look into some Philosophy compilation books. Man, I just had one around here somewhere. That'd be a good start for your ethics stuff." Kaz turned his attention back to Vega who had ducked behind the counter looking for a book. Kaz waited patiently as she fished for the book.

"Excuse me, Miss. I am looking for Vega Altair. I believe she works here."

He looked at the man again and noticed where he was looking. He subdued a 'heh' and a chuckle. When Vega turned back to the counter she handed him the book. "....It doesn't present any definite point of view so you may like to see this kind of thing."

Nodding to her, "Sounds like the sort of thing that I'm looking for. Thanks Vega." He turned the book over to read the back quickly before he set it on top of his growing pile.

"Oh. Excuse me, Garret this is Kaz. Kaz, this is my favorite person, Garrett. He also lives at the Mansion."

Kaz extended his hand toward Garrett. "Nice to meet you favorite person Garrett." He gave the man a knowing smirk and a small chuckle as he looked to Vega then back to the man. "I see the Mansion is still a great place to meet people. How ya doin' Garrett?"

The man was standing right beside him and he didn't notice. Seeing him now made Garrett do a bit of a double take. Seeing the man's look and smirk meant he knew what Garrett was looking at as well. It was okay, though. He had waited quite patiently and in a serene fashion for the pants, so he just nodded slightly and smiled back, his hairless eyebrows raising in a slightly comical tone. He extended his hand to the man. " Garrett Wills, to be specific. Pleasure to meet you, Kaz. That's an interesting name. Given name?"

He smiled back at Maya, sliding his eyes at her in the way they had been looking at each other lately. He looked back over at Kaz, pondering how this whole secrecy thing had crumbled so quickly as they were talking about the Mansion in thirty seconds. It definitely straightened out the mutant question as far as the man went. Garrett looked at him closely without staring. It was a skill learned from time in the streets. You never actually looked at a guy straight on, but casually glanced and assessed. You never knew who was predator or prey, especially in the world of mutations.

" So, it's still a great place to meet people? Were you there before? Pardon me for saying so, but you seem more the independent type for some reason. Industrious as well, considering the range of books you have there." Garrett eyed the stack. It seemed like Kaz here was working on a monastery or something similar. Perhaps it was just general interest, but there was a definite theme going on there. He turned to Maya." So, how's work? Looked like the shop was still closed over there. I hope I can find out if I still have a job. Winter is no time to be jobless, right?"