Cassie stepped back into her shop for the second time at about twenty minutes before five o'clock. She had been out making the rounds, visiting her closest friends in the witching community, only taking a long enough break to drop off some food for Davis around 1 p.m., then picked up some items of her own that she felt may help. She'd learned a lot in a few hours, most of which was not as helpful as she'd hoped, but it eliminated some options. Her mind was jumbled, mixed with a personal need to help Charlotte and an insane amount of curiosity about her. Cassie never thought she'd meet a demon in her lifetime, as most were known to be called for nefarious reasons. She had to wonder if Charlotte had been a target of a summoning spell, herself, and if so, by whom? She had a lot of research to do on the mechanics of summonings, to see what was necessary and, if one were messed up, how it could affect the summoner and the demon being called.
Frustrated with the tangled web of thougths, Cassie knew she needed to clear her thoughts so she could focus better. As Davis was working with a customer, she Indicated with a head nod that she was going upstairs, and got a confirmation head nod, back. When she got upstairs, she unlocked the door and stepped in. Kicking off her shoes, she pushed them under the small end table by the door, and took a moment to breath. Next, she opened the closet door next to the table, reached in for a pair of cotton shoes, and slipped them on. She stood and picked up one of her oak-wood Bo Staffs. After re-locking the door, she went to the stairway leading to the roof.
Cassie stepped out onto the roof and inhaled the humid air deeply, letting it blow out between pursed lips. She liked the humidity, the stickiness, as a ying to her yang of usual cool and calmness. It served as a challenge to her, to forget the discomfort of her surroundings, and instead find focus in her chakras. Walking past the makeshift walls she had placed around the middle of the roof, painted with oriental designs, that allowed her privacy from the surrounding neighbors while also giving her room to practice, she found a spot to begin. A clothesline to one side moved in the wind with some various items hanging from it that Cassie had yet to collect.
Taking a stance and gripping the Bo in her right hand, she planted the end of the 6-foot staff on the roof tiles by her right foot. Cassie closed her eyes and then began to move. She loved Tai Chi. It not only calmed her, but it went well with her mystical powers, providing focus and meditation, especially when her energies flared, as they had been doing all afternoon. She lifted the staff and let it drop into her free palm and started to dance rhythmically while taking slow, wide swings, stepping forward and then back, turning 180° with a low sweep of the staff, imagining a slow motion 'battle' with an invisible opponent. She dropped the end of the staff, shifting her weight and lifting the staff up, letting the shaft slide through her fingers and jabbing backwards, aimed at an invisible target. She continued various movements, mimicking both offensive and defensive stances for a full thirty minutes, most of the time with her eyes closed, and let her mind drift away from all thought.
As her personal inner timer expired, she came to a stop, returned the staff back to a starting position, and let her breath come back to her. The workout had helped for the most part, and she appreciated the calmer feeling, but she knew it was time to get back to work. She'd ask Davis if he found any information, and then look into the crystals. Perhaps they would give her some ideas. Moving from the roof, Cassie decided a quick shower before returning to the store to help Davis close up would be best. By the time she finished up those tasks and got Davis's opinion on the crystals, it would be close to six, and Angel and Charlotte would be due home.