Thursday-Assistant Auditions (Robbie, Elva)

[Elaine Tonaya]

Elaine was horrible at making decisions. At least decisions where she didn't have a little more information to go off of than a simple piece of paper and a few references.

In order to put off having to make the decision and to get to know the six individuals who had applied for the job position, she decided to arrange a few trial sessions. Three days, two assistants each day, and a chance for her to get to know everyone.

She had chosen to work with Robbie and Elva on Thursday. It was the slowest day of the week, and neither of these two had very much experience in the workplace. She thought it would be a good chance to introduce them to the job slowly so that they didn't get too scared and run off.

The two assistants were scheduled to show up after school at four o'clock, and stay until closing, giving them a chance to clean up and see some of the behind the scenes work of the flower shop. Elaine spent all afternoon waiting impatiently for her first group of assistants to arrive.

When four o'clock finally came, she stationed herself behind the counter, waiting for them to come in. When the door opened, she said, "Hello! It's great to meet you. Please, come in so we can talk together."

She reached out to shake hands and to try to smell the person she was talking to. She really did need to find out what kind of people these were.

"My name is Elaine. But you can call me Ms. Tonaya." That sounded a bit rude to her, to force them to call her by her surname when others called her by her first name, but she thought it was professional. "There are a few rules to go over and some job description things to talk about, but first I'd like to get to know more about you. So let's start with you telling me a little about yourself."

[Elva Ire]

Elva didn’t know about the boy beside her, but she reached out her hand and shook Ms. Tonayas. “Hello Ms. Tonaya, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Elva Ire.” She was pretty sure the woman knew that, but it was polite anyway.

When she said she wanted to know more about them, she didn’t know where to begin, much less say. “Well…this is my first time applying for a job and I love working with plants. I grew my own garden at home, but I’m afraid I didn’t have the green thumb like my mother did,” she said grinning sheepishly and rubbing the back of her head.

“I’m sure you would want to know my power, its psionic blast. I’m not sure what else you want to know about me, but if there is something else, you can ask.”

[Robbie Wilkes]

When he got the call back for an interview to work at the flower shop he had followed Estelle to, Robbie wasn't sure if he should be excited or apprehensive. He had never been interviewed before so his mix of emotions was valid. Although he supposed his apprehension shouldn't be overwhelming since it was just meeting someone new and he liked meeting new people.

So, arriving at the flower shop, Robbie saw a pretty redhead already there and he waved at her. She looked vaguely familiar; Hammel student maybe? The flower lady's warm greeting put Robbie at ease immediately. "Hi!" He greeted back as the girl introduced herself. So she was from Hammel. That was cool.

"Oh is it my turn? Hehe, I'm Robbie. I'm turning seventeen and going to graduate from Hammel soon enough hopefully cause I am not staying there forever. Duh right?" He said in one breath before taking in a deep one. "And...I'm a quick learner I think so hopefully you won't have to teach me things more than once. But don't let me handle any cash. I failed my Math test more than once. Not cool.

"Oh! I'm pretty good with wrapping things...sorta. But again, you can just teach me things." he shrugged with a grin, looking at Ms. Tonaya expectantly.

[Elaine Tonaya]

The two Hammel students came into the shop almost together. Elaine smiled and shook hands with the girl, Elva.

"It's good to meet you, Elva." And the boy was Robert. Robbie. She could remember that.

She nodded politely as Elva explained her past experience. "Even if you weren't that great with plants, I have learned that it's something we can teach you, so don't worry." She smiled again to reassure the girl.

Elva offered up her power immediately, without prompting. Elaine was a little surprised at this, since she knew that most people didn't feel comfortable stating their power right away. She was impressed, though.

"Psionic blast, is it? I remember some students who had that back in the day. I hope you're not having too hard a time keeping it under control. I hear it can be difficult sometimes." Unlike certain other powers. "Well, we'll just see how the day goes, and maybe we'll find more time to share."

Elaine turned to Robbie now, who began to speak. He seemed nervous, and he smelled a little nervous as well, but overall he was a nice kid. They both were, in fact, though Elva had a little something in her aura that Elaine couldn't identify right away. From Robbie Elaine simply got a sense that he had more in him than he was willing to acknowledge after so long covering it up.

"If you're a good learner, that's good enough for me. And don't worry too much about the register. I will have you work with it today, but it's actually quite simple. I sometimes have trouble with math too, so I have a special calculator near the register--out of sight, of course--that will tell me how much change to give. Handy, right?"

Introductions being over, Elaine decided to give the two a tour around the shop. She led them around the small building, pointing out the different exhibits and some of the important switches.

"I'll be needing your help to close up today, but don't worry too much about that now. Oh, and here's the back room..." She led them into the back part of her shop where she kept extra inventory and had her work bench. It was a bit cluttered, but they could all fit back there well enough.

"I work on some of the more delicate flower arrangements back here. That's why I sometimes need someone who can watch the front of the store while I'm working in the back." She gestured at the piles of ribbon, glitter, and flowers that would need to be turned into wreaths and corsages.

Leading them back out into the front room again, Elaine smiled at the two. "Well, I suppose that's the whole shop, really. So I guess now the only thing is if you have any questions. Questions about the shop, about me, anything really. I'll try to answer you as best I can."

There still wasn't anyone around, so Elaine had time to talk to her new assistants for a while longer.

[Elva Ire]

Elva nodded, “That’s right ma’am. I don’t seem to have a bad time controlling it, I just need to keep my anger in check.” She turned to the boy, Robbie, he said his name was. She had seen him around Hammel and she was glad that another student was from there and it wasn’t just a plain human.

She followed the shop keeper throughout the small shop and could smell the sweet aura of the flowers. Going back out into the front, it was time for questions and boy, did she have a lot.

“Mrs. Tonaya, I was wondering….do you have a power yourself?” she asked rubbing her arms and shifted on her feet. She wasn’t usually that blunt, okay she was, but not to someone who was going to possibly hire her. “I’m sorry if I’m being blunt, it’s just that…you seem to be smelling something.”

((Sorry it's short))

[Robbie Wilkes]

"Oh yeah, totally. I learn fast. You can ask Estelle. She's a good teacher and she's been teaching me stuff and I learn fast." Robbie beamed and laughed at the secret calculator. "That would definitely come in handy." He peeked over the counter to find it but it wasn't around so it must be really super secret.

He followed the flower lady and Elva as they walked around the shop. He liked the place. Lots of light. If he got to work here, he would definitely enjoy it.

Relating to the girl when it came to their powers, Robbie nodded but said nothing else. He too had to keep his emotions in check for fear of exposing too much of his powers.

Her question was a good one. A little too forward but good all the same. Robbie wanted to know the lady's power too! If she had one. But she probably did. Maybe Mom vision or something. She looked like a Mom. Robbie missed his mom...

But the follow up question Elva had made Robbie frown. What was going on? "Wait, Ms. Tonaya...is there something burning?" Yes, because anything to do with people smelling something meant something was burning. Smart Robbie.

[Elaine Tonaya]

Elaine was a bit surprised at the blunt way which Elva approached the discussion of powers. It had seemed almost an admirable trait when the girl was able to admit it about herself, but now it seemed almost rude the way that she brought it up. Some people didn't like to mention their powers right away, and Elaine preferred if hers weren't blasted around to everyone. It wasn't a huge secret that she was a metahuman, but lots of people tended to get uncomfortable when they found out that she was reading them every time they walked into the shop.

"No, Robbie, there's nothing burning. Impressive of you to be so observant, Elva. Yes, I am smelling things. Most people tend to say this is because I work in a flower shop and I just like the smell of flowers. My power is actually related to smell, though I don't like to tell everyone about it. Especially not up front, because it is bad for business." She smiled kindly, then went back to the original question. "I smell things about people, which helps me to understand their personality. I call it part of my mother's intuition. It's helped me out in the past, since I can often know when someone is likely to be cheating me."

She looked around at the two assistants. "If that's all the questions for right now, I think I'm going to put you two to work. Robbie, you're in charge of the counter. Elva, could you please come with me? I'd like to show you how to make up some boutonnieres. I have all the materials in the back room." She drifted into the back room, leaving Robbie up front and gesturing for Elva to follow her into the back.

[Paulo Ortiz]

Paulo was almost done.

He'd laid low for a few weeks after the attack on the compound, running traces on the important players. Astonishingly, none of the attackers--that he knew the names of, anyway--had died. Even more impressive, Max was keeping Jesse alive. So apparently, the kid was tougher than he thought, and the Kiwi was more of a pussy.

He also knew exactly where Reese and Lala were. And he was not going to be joining them. He'd had enough of Cuba.

But he'd stayed near Pilot Ridge for a while, keeping tabs on everyone and calling in whatever resources he could. M.S.A.D. was crumbling, but he'd been at Gabriel's left hand for so many years, he still held some influence.

He also had a line of credit still on his credit card, issued to Oscar Mendoza. Might as well use it up, then dump entire wallet somewhere a junkie could find it. He had his new name already, and if anyone connected Oscar with M.S.A.D., it would just lead them to a "stolen" identity.

Anyway, before he left Pilot Ridge, he had something he had to do.

It was ballsy to walk into her store, and there were other florists nearby. But Elaine Tonaya hadn't trusted him right away, and that made her so interesting. It would be nice to see her again, before he moved on.

There was just a blond boy behind the counter of her store, however, and Paulo wasn't going to push to see the woman if she wasn't around. "Hello," the tall man said, grinning cheerfully at the teenager. "I'm looking for something to bring to a friend of mine, a get-well present. Do you have any suggestions?"

After all, he wasn't going to leave Pilot Ridge without saying goodbye to Max and Jesse, now was he?

[Robbie Wilkes]

"Wokay!" Robbie saluted Elaine as she disappeared to the back with Elva. What a name, Elva. She was pretty though, Robbie thought to himself as he manned the counter alone.

Fiddling with the calculator at the counter, Robbie found how boring it was to be working right then. He was sure Estelle would find all this very easy. Not to say she was boring; she was the most interesting girl he'd met in Hammel. She was just the most patient person ever. And Robbie was a trainwreck who needed constant action.

Oh, Robbie, if you only knew.

The door chimed as a customer came in, perking Robbie right up. "Get well presents?" Robbie asked, chewing on his lower lip before looking around to find something that could cheer someone up. But this wasn't a video game store. He didn't know what the man would want in a flower shop to cheer someone up. Should he call Elaine out? Nooo, he could handle this. Yes he can.

"Uh...that thing makes me smile." Robbie pointed to a little potted red cactus on one of the shelves. "Who're you giving it to?" He asked.

[Paulo Ortiz]

Paulo shrugged a little, because there really wasn't much more the could say that wasn't a lie. Granted, he had no trouble lying to the boy anyway. "Well, it's actually for the kid of a friend of mine. Little girl named Jess." He smiled fondly, as if the memory manipulator was a precocious little girl he saw at company picnics. "And she got hurt in an accident, and little girls like flowers, right?" So no cacti.

He started looking around the store, eying the brightly colored plants on the shelves. Some of them really were beautiful. Shame Jesse probably wasn't actually in the condition (or of the temperament) to enjoy them. "I guess something potted? It'll last longer, and it's not like I'm giving her a puppy." He grinned at the boy behind the counter. "She's a good kid. She deserves to smile."

Astonishingly, that was the hardest lie to tell. Jesse was not a good kid. He'd gotten himself shot, and didn't even take out the target.

"So I'm not sure about the cactus. Does it need a lot of care? I don't want her dad to have to remember to take care of it." At one time, he might have considered Max a friend, and the man didn't deserve another prickly waste of space in his house.

[Robbie Wilkes]

"I thought girls liked teddy bears and stuff. Buy her a tricycle. Or a Barbie doll." Robbie said, a little confused. But hey, he was a customer. All Robbie needed to do was ring up his purchase.

The guy gave him a grin which Robbie returned instantly. The guy was really nice, Robbie needed to just do what he knew about customer service. He had watched enough things on TV to know what to do.

"Well, what I know about cacti is it's self-replenishing or something. So it doesn't need too much care. Maybe I should ask the owner of this place. Do you mind holding on a bit?" Robbie went to the back and waved to Elaine. "Miss Tonaya, there's a customer outside. He's looking for something for a little girl who got into an accident or something? And...he didn't like my idea for a cactus so I don't know what he wants."

[Paulo Ortiz]

Paulo smirked slightly as the boy went to ask his boss about it. Of course, it was a little risky, walking into a store where the owner knew about him, somehow. He wanted to know more about her, of course, but without Gabriel's resources, he didn't have much to go on, and he had to lay low.

"It's okay, no need to worry her. I'll take the cactus." Because now, Paulo had another idea in his head. A better idea, and one that couldn't work if the owner came out to see him. "You're right. She'd like a teddy bear better. I saw some colored ones in a toy store I passed, so I'll get one of those too, to match." Oh, won't Jesse be pleased.

As the tall Cuban man pulled out his wallet, he looked at the boy as if he just realized something. "Miss Tonaya? This is Morgan Tonaya's mother's store, isn't it? Didn't he just get in an accident?" He took a step closer to the counter and leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "I'm going to get him something too, as a surprise. Something bright and cheerful, like him." He looked around, considering the bouquets that were on display.

He grinned again, pointing to one of them. "Maybe one of those big ones over there. And I'm actually in a rush, so can you just get me the cactus wrapped up now? I can pay for the delivery on the one for Morgan as well." He passed over the credit card from his wallet and asked, "Do they come with notes I can fill out? Like those little cards with "Get Well" on the front?"

[Robbie Wilkes]

At the man's reassurance, Robbie apologised to Elaine with a sheepish grin before skipping back to the front to cater to the man. "Okay, cactus it is!" Robbie said cheerfully, completely oblivious to the goings on of the man who gave off a very charming vibe but was far from it.

When the man asked him about Mr. Tonaya, a teacher at Hammel that pretty much glowed everywhere he went, Robbie scratched his head as he went to get the pink-ish cactus and found a paper bag or something to store it in. He could do this. He looked up at the other man just as he leaned in. A smile spread across Robbie's lips at the man's thoughtfulness. "Mr. Big Spender." Robbie chuckled, more at himself for being so 'witty'.

His eyes followed down to the very big bouquet of flowers the man wanted and Robbie took out the order sheet he had found earlier. When presented with a credit card, he was stuck. Should he call Miss Tonaya again? No. He could handle this. "Sir, is it okay if I troubled you to give me cash instead? I've just started here and I don't even think I'll be here long so I have no idea what to do with this plastic and I am slightly technophobic so it would really be awesome if you could just pay in cash?" Robbie gave him a sheepish grin.

"Cards! We've got them here...right...there!" He excitedly pointed out to the swivelly stand with little cards that had a myriad of messages on it. "Ooh, look! Here, this should be nice for Mr. Tonaya." Robbie picked one out that had a picture of sunshine, balloons and a big rainbow in front. "He would like this very much." Robbie handed the man the card and searched for a pen. "There ya go, sir. What name should I put on the order form?" He asked, after procuring two pens for each of them.

[Paulo Ortiz]

"Perhaps, but I like spending money on friends." Paulo grinned back at the teenager as he watched him wrap up the gifts. The boy was obviously a good kid, trying so hard to be helpful and funny. It might even be worth it to stick around, just to see the look on his face when Elaine Tonaya reacted to the (former) operative purchasing her son some flowers. But that might be a bit risky, as he still didn't know what her power was that let her know that he wasn't one to be trusted.

Then again, when they'd met, she'd also provided a false name. She'd been just as rude. But now, he knew her real name, and she didn't know his.

Rejecting the credit card was a bit of a hassle though, as it was significantly more difficult for him to use an ATM, since he couldn't read. But whatever, he had loitered here long enough and he had enough cash on hand to cover this, he was sure. (But it was annoying. How difficult was it for the boy to swipe the card then follow whatever instructions came up? Was he an idiot?) "Fine then. Is a fifty enough to cover everything?" Paulo took the credit card back and slid it into the wallet, then opened the billfold slightly. He could identify the bills inside by the way he folded them.

He took the pen and the garish-looking card and carefully wrote out the name he'd practiced many times, Oscar Mendoza. Hopefully, the Tonayas would remember that. Paulo slid the card back over and answered the blond boy's question as well. "Oscar Mendoza. I'm not going to be in town for the rest of this week, so it's no use giving you my work number. I don't think there should be any problems delivering something to the owner's son though, right?" And, as always, he finished off with a polished grin.

[Robbie Wilkes]

"Oh dude, preaching to the choir." Robbie waved one hand up in the air while the other patted his chest twice. He too loved to spend on his friends. Why just the other day he had treated Ann Hudgins to a mug of delicious hot chocolate. Then again, that was because of the bet they'd made. But still...

Robbie held his hand out to receive the money and calculated the man's purchases and it didn't even touch twenty-five dollars so fifty was more than enough. "Yessir!" Robbie nodded cheerfully, completely unaware of the dark-haired man's annoyance. Once he [miraculously!] worked the register, he took out the amount stated that he had smartly calculated on the secret calculator and handed it over to the man along with the bagged cactus.

Scribbling down his name, Robbie looked up and grinned at the man. "That's such cool name. And that's cool. I'll make sure Mr. Tonaya gets his bouquet." Robbie grinned. "Thank you for shopping at Mama's Garden! Have a nice day!" He waved at His very first customer, satisfied he had done a good job.