pineslog | Starting right now I'll be strong...

{ Like a small boat on the ocean... }

She owned a bookstore. That was unexpected.

The memories had 'returned' on Monday, as Elena pondered just what she was going to do with her free time. She was going to train with Nyx, so that was something, but she couldn't do that all the time. Damon and Stefan worked at the garage, Nyx worked at the gym. What was she--

She never worked Mondays. Tuesday through Saturday, she spent the day at the store, greeting customers, helping them with selections, balancing the books that were never in quite the state she wanted them. The memories were sudden, emotional, and a bit overwhelming. Actually stepping into the shop itself? Even more so.

Coming to the shop as a child with her siblings, curling up in a chair with Nyx while he read to her and Katherine. Sitting in that chair alone when her brother was gone. Helping out at the shop on the weekends when she was in middle school, actually working there part-time in high school, and then taking over once she'd graduated. Dreams of med school were just that when the business wasn't exactly thriving, and all she could do was save as much as she could with the hope that one day she'd get a little closer to achieving that goal.

So there the townsfolk would find her, perusing the shelves to familiarize herself with the titles she was supposed to remember, going over those ledgers and straightening the magazine racks that seemed to shift when she wasn't looking. Come in and say hello, and perhaps question the very odd selections found among the shelves.

Clary had always loved books. It was a passion that her mother had passed down to her, one that brought a distraction from her sometimes hectic lifestyle. She remembered coming to the bookstore a lot growing up but she only remembered it's owner recently. She didn't know Elena but she knew that they shared a love of books.

She walked in wearing a light pink hoodie and her pale line green sneakers. Her shirt was a bright blue tank that made her get up seem almost cartoon-ish. Clary was comfortable and the moment she stepped inside the bookstore she was distracted. There was an expression of wonder on her face as she moved towards the fantasty section.

"Hello?" She asked when she saw the figure of someone rearranging books. "You work here right? Do you have anything on angels or legends about them? Any location really." It was silly, she shouldn't let what Alec said bother her but watching Jack burn himself of the weird glass sword had made her worried.

That day, Elena had given herself the task of trying to figure out where everything was located in the store, and where things might be better arranged in a different fashion. She knew that she was supposed to have been running the bookstore for a few years now, but she also knew that yesterday had been the first time she'd ever set foot inside the building. So if anyone decided to ask why she was suddenly shifting things around, she'd just say that it felt like time for a little change.

By the time Clary arrived, Elena had managed to sketch out a full map of the shop with a rough listing of where the various genres and types of books had ended up, which made about as much sense as one might expect from a used bookstore that had probably seen a regular rotation of employees for a while. She was crouched down among biographies of figures in the Revolutionary War when the young woman entered.

Smiling at Clary's outfit, which was much more colorful than Elena's own muted blue plaid top, she stood and dusted her hands off on her jeans before gesturing to the next shelf over. "We've got some mythology here," and then she had to gesture down another row of shelves, "and religion is over there. I think I saw something about angels specifically, but I'm still getting used to the store again. I just started back after my accident." Which she hoped the girl would understand, since most people seemed to be at least familiar with the circumstances surrounding their lives in this town. "I'm Elena, by the way."

"Hi. I'm Clary. I think we might have met or I've seen you. I come in her a lot." She admitted with a sheepish smile.

Clary did understand. A string of accidents were hitting the town like a string of burglaries. It didn't make much sense to her but she didn't remember enough to look into it effectively. Right now she had to figure out this angel business. She didn't believe Alec, despite having all signs point to him being correct. The truth twisted uncomfortably in her stomach as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"Do you know if any of those say anything about angel's with tattoo's or something about a cup?" She wondered if her dreams were related to anything. "Sorry. I realize that you probably haven't read all the books in the store. I'm just looking for something... specific and I couldn't find it at the school library."

There was the vaguest memory of Clary coming into the store, purchasing books and perhaps exchanging the ones she'd already read? It's a bit fuzzy, and the recognition only goes so far as most retail memories do, but it does make her smile more genuine.

"I haven't really looked through the volumes we have, I'm sorry," Elena admitted with a shake of her head. "But you're welcome to have a look through them all and take however long you need. I just dusted off the big chairs by the window." And who could say no to a comfy chair and a pile of books?

Clary felt her smiled grow. "Really? Thanks. Do you know anything about descents of angels? Like, I know nothing specific or in books..." Since Elena had just said that. "But like in the bible or anything like that. Every time they mention angel's it's like there light is too bright or something."

She was trying to make sense of it and talking out loud helped.

She stepped towards the shelf and took two books that looked promising. If she found the right book she'd purchase that one. She only hoped that it was here. "Or the angel Raziel." She didn't know where that specific name came from but it felt important.

Percy is pretty sure this is maybe only the third or fourth time he'd ever stepped into this shop. It's not that he doesn't like reading, not once he can get through a page or two without wanting to do just about anything else, but it just takes forever. And the words get scrambly in his head, letters sort of blurring in and out ... not unlike his memories as of late.

He's sure he'd appreciate books a whole lot more if he could actually sit still to read them. But he'd been meaning to stop in to say 'hi' to Elena while she was here, so. Here he is.

Saying hi.

He raises a hand to get her attention first. Because that's important.

"Hey, Elena."

The bookstore was... overwhelming, to put it lightly. Stepping inside for the first time since the accident meant she was bombarded with memories of her life in Wayward Pines, recollections of people she'd never known and things that had never happened. Unfortunately, those memories failed to include much useful information on the state of the store or how to manage the financial books, so Elena buried herself in them, taking over the counter during a lull and doing her best to focus.

Even with the bell from the door, she didn't quite notice the young man until he raised his hand, the flicker of motion at the corner of her eye catching her attention. Glancing up with a curious expression, she was about to ask how she could help him when--

Percy. The boy Damon and Stefan had taken under their wing, the practically adopted member of their family who she loved to catch up with after family dinners. How had she forgotten him?

Because she'd never known him.

"Hey Percy," she greeted him with a bright smile, setting down her pencil and moving around to the front of the counter. "What brings you here?" Because as much as she adored this kid, she was well aware that reading was just not his thing.

"I was told to check the place out, see how you were doing," Percy replies. "And I was in the neighbourhood."

It's his day off from work too, so he had some spare time.

He idly thumbs one of the nearby books, feeling a little like a fish out of water.

Dumbly: "This is a lot of books."

No kidding, Percy, you're in a bookstore.

The comment made her smile. "We like to have something for everyone," she explained with a nod, reaching over to straighten one of the yellowing texts that had tilted to the side.

She was quiet for a moment before glancing back at him, regret written in her expression. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for the family dinner the other night. I missed seeing you." She didn't at the time, actually, but now she does. This place is complicated, but she wasn't not going to question the affection she felt for him.

"Nah, it's no big deal. You were in an accident too, right? That's what Damon told me," Percy says. He's sympathetic because yeah, he'd definitely gone through the same thing only a week (at most) earlier, a little bit lost, a little bit confused, definitely unaware of the actual accident itself. He could only remember the barest things about his life, people's names and faces ... his memories of them ...

Anyway, his expression is one of understanding. He straightens a little.

"I'm glad you're okay."

Elena nodded at his question, wishing for a moment that he hadn't been in an 'accident' and wasn't experiencing all of this now -- but then she wouldn't know him, would she? That was how it worked, right? However they got here, it culminated in an 'accident' that they didn't quite remember. And if she didn't know him, she wouldn't have these memories that echoed a relationship she'd had with someone else, someone who... meant a great deal to her. Her younger brother, maybe?

"I'm glad you're okay, too," she said softly, echoing his words. There was little more than a heartbeat before she couldn't hold herself back anymore and she moved forward to wrap him up in a hug if he'd let her.

Kal's been making a point to go by all of the shops, but he comes into this shop because he's in need of a book. Things aren't exactly hopping at the Fire Station (and he certainly doesn't want them to be) so he's in search for something to fill his time that doesn't involve being a damn busy body on people.

It's far too easy with his ears as they are.

When he ends up in the same stack as someone else he hasn't met yet, he offers a wave and a smile.

"Afternoon, miss. I don't suppose you remember me?"

Trying to get back into the swing of things at a job you don't remember is even harder than it sounds. Elena had spent her first day going over the financial side of the store, trying to understand things that were supposed to come naturally to her since she'd been 'doing it for years', but some of it might as well have been in another language.

Day two was for tackling the actual layout of the store. When Kal entered, she was deep in the process of mapping everything out, trying to find some semblance of reason to the arrangement of the various sections. The store might be on the small side, but there sure was a lot crammed in there.

Pulling her clipboard to her chest, she offered him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry to say I don't. I'm still getting my memories back after a recent accident. Have we met before?" Was he a fellow 'accident' victim?

He can't help a slightly sheepish smile as he shakes his head and rubs at the back of his neck.

"I couldn't tell you, miss. As I'm asking because I don't know. Apparently, I was in a car accident some days ago and it left me a little hazy on most of the details. I do know my name, though."

He offers a hand.

"Kal Kent. You've got a lovely shop here."

With a genuine smile, Elena placed her hand in his, giving it a good shake the way her father had taught her. Firm, solid, but gentle.

"Elena--" Gilbert "Salvatore," she introduced herself in turn. "And thank you, thank you very much. It belonged to my parents, and my sister and I have done our best to keep it going over the years." Well, she had more so than Katherine, but Elena didn't blame her sister for that. ~~Because none of it was real, of course.~~

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Salvatore. Or should I go with Elena?" It's a genuine question, after all. It's best to be respectful.

"The two of you have done a fine job, if I may say so. Very nicely laid out and well organized, it looks like."

"Elena's fine," she assured him with another smile. "My sister and I are both Mrs. Salvatore, so first names always seem easier."

Glancing around at the shop, her expression turns a little sheepish. "And thank you, I appreciate that. I feel like it's gotten a little out of hand since my accident," a polite way to avoid admitting she hadn't played any part in actually organizing anything, "but we'll get it back in order before too long."

"Well, if you need any assistance, I'd be happy to offer it," he says with a glance around the shop. "I'm always glad to have something to fill the hours and work always goes quicker with more hands."

"Thank you, Kal, that's really nice of you to offer," she replied with a smile. "We could use more people like you around here. Are you always this helpful?" It was something to remember for the future if he was. As much as she didn't want to think like that, they really had no idea what they were going to face in this town.

"I'd like to tell you so," he points out with a bit of a grin, "but I can't at the moment. Or didn't we cover that?"

Only very very mild teasing on that last one. Since they're both in a similar situation.

There had been two great comforts in Alec's life: music and books. When he'd needed a refuge those two things had kept him going when he'd felt like there was no hope that he'd ever be able to have the type of life he wished for. He couldn't remember many of the details of why he'd been so miserable except that it involved parental disapproval and trying to fit into a role he wasn't meant for.

Now he was free of that influence, able to do whatever he wanted instead of trying to conform to his parents' rules. That freedom hadn't changed his love for either music or books. One had become the basis of his life in town and the other was a hobby that he enjoyed simply because he loved languages and the way words flowed together.

Entering the shop, he knew he had to have visited before but the details were muzzy. He knew which genres he'd gravitate toward but not where they were located. Looking around, Alec tried to find either the fantasy novels, the classics, or poetry. Trying to find a logic in the order, he finally decided to ask the person that at least seemed to know more about the store's layout than he did. "Do you think there's anything in Latin?"

The telltale sound of the door opening preceded Jack gingerly stepping into the store like he suspected stepping too heavily might activate a landmine.

He hadn't set foot inside the bookstore in the two months since he woke up in this slice of idyllic suburbia, and entering new places in Wayward Pines always ran the risk of startling awake old memories, something he spent his days hoping to avoid. Landmines indeed.

No psychological lightning bolts struck him during the first few moments he stood there looking around, which he took as a good sign. "Um, anyone in?" he called.

There were other reasons he hadn't looked into this place before now, too. Recreational reading just wasn't his scene, for one thing. It was a part of his persona in Rubrum, not being an avid reader of anything other than comic books. Time was precious and he'd made the call to polish his sword and his smile, not book smarts, but he knew the other Jack, the one raised by Nyx who grew up here, was different. He liked reading. He liked learning. It wouldn't surprise him to remember coming here on occasion--or to find out people remembered him coming here, a disconcerting thought all on its own. People getting a certain image of him he hadn't pre-packaged for their consumption was annoying.

If Elena recognized either version of him, it would probably be on account of his signature coiffed hair, which he was currently dragging his fingers through as he took in the store. It was a far cry from the Crystarium, but still. There were a lot of books in here.

By the third day of working in the store that she owned (still something she was getting used to), Elena was up to her ears in things remembered from a life she hadn't led. It seemed like every new person who entered the store now was dredging up some degree of familiarity, from the casual customer to the childhood friend. It was getting to be a bit exhausting, but she still plastered the polite smile to her face and cheerfully greeted each townsperson who walked through the door.

Jack was the exception.

His voice started it, a spark of recognition as she worked in one of the back corners. It was curiosity more than anything that had her moving through the aisle to step into view of the front door. The sight of him standing there brought back a few fond memories of the boy Nyx had taken in as family, but more than that -- it brought back the feeling of Jack being family. He was someone Elena cared about simply for that fact alone. That she actually liked Jack just made that affection stronger.

"Jack, hi," she greeted him with a bright smile, trying her best to fight off the urge to hug this young man she'd only just met. She would if he let her, though, and it's clear by the way she steps toward him and then stops, a hand still partially outstretched, that's what she wants to do.

At the sound of someone approaching, Jack paused mid-motion and turned toward it. Out from the cavernous depths of the bookshelves stepped one of the prettiest brunettes he'd probably ever seen, a vision in small town couture.

That thumbs up in the part of his brain that appreciated the opposite sex lasted about as long as it took for his frontal lobe to catch up, and for two things to become readily apparent:

1. He remembered with crystal clarity Elena putting her arms around the man she was crazy for on her wedding day.

2. They were related. Not in vague terms like Class Zero, but legally. Biologically.

Way to ruin it, Wayward Pines.

Blinking back the dizzying aftershock of another memory-mine detonating in his face, he focused back in on the brunette who'd managed, in just a few seconds, to completely reorder his mental family tree. Even as he smiled at her, resentment was a swift axe falling on that feeling. He didn't have family. He didn't have family. Not the warm and cuddly kind this town brought to mind, anyway.

Eleven brothers and sisters, and not once had he ever hugged one. The cluelessness with which he looked at her hand was unfeigned and awkwardly glaring, and he inwardly kicked himself for the lapse. This was a normal social cue. This was... doable. Right? After a delay of a second, Jack forced himself to step into it and bend like he thought he was supposed to for someone to reach over his shoulder, moving in the way of someone who'd seen something done without having often done it.

"Hi. Hey. You look, um. Good?" Off to a smooth start.

Magnus had two goals as he walked down Main Street and into the town's used bookstore: get ideas for the upcoming party he's throwing, and drop in to catch up with Elena. She, along with her family, had been some of the first people that Magnus remembers befriending in the town when he and Alec had first arrived. Wayward Pines hadn't exactly been an intentional destination—breaking down on the side of the road and being forced to stay in a small town for a week was rarely something one planned on. But the citizens had all been kind to them, especially the brothers who had solved whatever engine problems that had stumped Magnus. It seemed to have been fate that Magnus, as well as the Lightwood siblings, had ended up befriending the Salvatores' wives.

Snapping out of his reverie as the bell above the front door chimed, he stepped into the shop and took a deep breath. Magnus had always loved the smell of books, especially used ones that took on a musty scent of time. He meandered through the aisles, looking for anything helpful on the shelves but mainly for Elena herself. When he came upon her standing on a ladder to reach the higher shelves, he smiled and leaned against the bookcase. "I'm tempted to recite something from Romeo and Juliet, but that might get us in trouble with our respective husbands."

On the day that Magnus chooses to visit Between the sPines, Elena has finally begun to remember her life before Wayward Pines. Little flickers of memory have been appearing since she'd woken that morning, dancing among the embers of the life she was supposed to have in this strange town that held them all captive. But those flickering flames did nothing to dim the spark that burst into life when she caught sight of him, the man who made his presence known when he walked into a room without even trying.

Leaning into the ladder so she didn't lose her balance, she turned slightly to face him, looking down with a bright smile. "I'm pretty sure Stefan would just laugh, considering he beat you to it years ago," she informed her friend with a laugh in her voice before finishing straightening up the shelf she'd been working on and descending the ladder to get her feet firmly on the ground.

Magnus set a hand on the ladder as Elena shifted, a subconscious precaution. "Damn, I need to work on my timing," he teased back, watching her descend with a bright smile. Once she was level with him, he pulled a hand from behind his back to offer her a cup of coffee that had most likely not been there a moment before. "I wasn't sure what you drink, so went for a classic latte. Anyone awake and working at this hour could use some caffeine."

{ Sending big waves into motion... }

She owned a bookstore, though.

It was still a shock, even after Elena had spent the entire day in the slightly musty smelling space, poring over the financial ledgers and trying to make sense of the business she was supposed to be running. Running she was running it successfully was, of course, a matter of opinion at this point. They didn't seem to be drowning in debt, at least, so there was that?

Memories had continued to trickle in throughout the day, of the people who were her family in this place, of the times they'd spent together in the store. Try as she might to remind herself that none of it was real, it all felt real, and wasn't it just silly to embrace some things and not others when it came to these weird fake memories?

But therein was the problem, and the headache, and the cause of her very intense need of a drink. Oh look, a bar. What perfect timing.

Edited 2017-05-11 01:12 (UTC)

{ Like how a single word can make a heart open... }

Day 2 of... some very large number down, only an unknown number more to go.

It was getting easier to spend her days at the bookstore. Granted, she was only just starting out, but the more the false memories surfaced, the more connected she felt to the space, the building and the books, and to the business itself. She was beginning to remember the role it had played in the small community, and the deep desire to see that continue after her parents' death, even if it meant a longer journey toward achieving her own dreams.

With the work day done, she'd headed home - well, not home, not yet. Caroline's, because it was still too much to deal with at her proper Wayward Pines home since she didn't yet have all her memories back. It wasn't as if she was all that far away, though; she could see the Salvatore residence from almost anywhere in Care's house. It was distance, but not too much, because she didn't want any of them thinking the worst about why she'd needed some time to deal with all of this and find her own way.

Today was different than the others, though. Today, she walked past the neighboring homes and stopped in front of one, seeing it in a completely different light. Remembering someone who lived there. She was heading up the sidewalk before she even realized what she was doing, giving a good knock on the door and hoping that the woman who lived there was at home.

Please be home.

Edited 2017-05-10 23:32 (UTC)

Crowe is home. She's been spending a lot of time with Nyx and Luna, and also this morning she remembered 'her' job, so she went there, and now she's at 'her' house and sorting out through the dresses.

Dresses!

Except for some reason she can't bring herself to just throw them out. (Her mom didn't care too much, she did prefer practical clothing, but her dad liked it when she was prettied up and smiling, making people think she's more harmless than she is...)

(What.)

Then the knock comes, and she's startled, coming down to see who it is with an actual ribbon in her hand - used as a belt for one of the dresses, she's sure.

"Hello?" Beat.

Then her face brightens into an actual smile. "Elena! Come on in." Nyx's sister is always welcome at her place, always. Her friend, even more so.

Elena remembered those dresses. Remembered when Crowe's parents had left, when they hadn't come home. She remembered days spent together missing their loved ones, and days spent... doing other things that made Elena blush lightly. It was the first time she'd remembered something like that from her fake life in the town.

The door opened and she could barely contain herself, only managing to wait for the invitation before she moved forward to hug her friend, wanting to hold her tight even though they'd never actually seen each other before that very second. She hoped Crowe would let her - she really needed a hug.

"Elena, hey." Crowe's vague if joyful greeting turned into a more concerned murmur of her name, and she just held on tight, for a long time. A part of her felt entirely too awkward with this. Another remembered dozens of times when they had done this, had been like this, and she could tell without hesitation that Elena was upset.

Good enough reason to not let go until Elena did, and to press her face into Elena's hair.

"You all right?" Beat, and it was almost like a shift inside her mind. "You were in an accident, too?" The words bubbled up, startling her, but she could remember worrying about Elena, too, and that was just.

Strange.

But not strange enough to let go.

"Come on in. I still got some stuff from the bake sale."

She might have gone a little overboard with buying things, there, especially since she didn't really eat all that many sweet things unless she remembered particularly. But it would come in handy, now, she thought.

Starting right now I'll be strong...

{ May 9-13 | Open } Between the sPines

May 10 Between the sPines

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May 12th

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May 13th

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{ May 9 | Closed for Eliot } Weaver's

{ May 10 | Closed for Crowe } Residential Neighborhood

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Sorry....