Groovy Tunes, Saturday

[furnaceface]

It wasn't that Jono was expecting some sort of great influx of business this weekend now that people were slated to be returning back to the island, really. It was more that he'd been going stir-crazy just bumming around the island, not allowed to go back to his own reality by decree of pretty much anyone who cared about him these days and not feeling up to braving the tropical weather of places like Bali or... Balmia.

Look, when you were on fire and the more reliable means of keeping it in was layers of leather, tropical weather was always a bad idea. It wasn't like he could peel off layers until he was down to swim trunks and just lounge on the beach, after all. For what he hoped were obvious reasons.

So. The island. The quiet, quiet island. All week. No employees, no customers, not much of anything at all. Even whatever madness that had been messing with his wardrobe seemed to be behaving itself this week, which meant that he was wearing his leathers and wrappings as he sat at the counter in the music shop, idly fingerpicking one of the acoustic guitars they had in stock. Because Jonothon Starsmore wasn't going to own a music store without selling instruments, too, thank you.

Bloody hell, was he bored.

[Open!]

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[whenshewasnice]

Well, Nathan was on the island, and avoiding getting into contact with his (ex) boyfriend, might as well walk around a bit, right? And that walk brought him to Groovy Tunes. He thought he should see about stocking up on music from his own time, anyway.

He gave Jono a nod when he came in. Hadn't been back on the island much since Jono had taken over the music store and gone all flamey again, so... Nathan completely failed to recognize him. Hence the business-like greeting. Not that Jono was likely to recognize him, either.

This was going to be weird.

[furnaceface]

When weren't things weird, right? Jono glanced up from his playing as Nathan came into the shop, and gave him a nod in turn. There was something familiar about the guy, more with the way his particular psionic signature pinged Jonothon's senses, but he couldn't quite place it. After all, he hadn't had his powers while Natalie was around, either.

//Hello, mate,// he greeted, all the same. //If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know.//

[whenshewasnice]

That was... kind of a familiar voice. Although the unfamiliar way it was coming to Nathan's head was kind of a distraction.

Not that he really let either of those things show. "Afternoon," he said. "I'm just looking to get some contemporary music to take with me."

[furnaceface]

//That, we have in abundance,// Jono noted, nodding faintly, well aware that his voice was distracting, at least. He was thankful that this bloke wasn't making an issue of it, for what it was worth. //Have you got any particular bands in mind, or were you hoping for some recommendations?//

[whenshewasnice]

Nathan shrugged one shoulder. And only barely, at that.

"Well, I'm not too interested in whatever the latest overproduced pop hit is," he offered. "But whatever has been big in the last six months or so, other than that."

[furnaceface]

You were a man after Jono's own bio-nuclear psionic heart, Nathan.

//Big, or just good? Ed Harcourt came out with a new album last month, if that's your speed at all.//

[whenshewasnice]

This was where a far more freely expressive person might have resorted to something akin to grabbyhands.

Nathan... raised his eyebrows. "Really? Because that's pretty exactly my speed." He was so out of the loop. Except with the music of the time he was currently living in. "I've played his songs at showcases at the theater here before."

[furnaceface]

//You... have?//

Well, now Jono was blinking and tilting his head at the young man as he stood and made a short wander to the new release section.

//Must've been quite some time ago, or I'm sure I would've remembered that. Had a student, a friend, who'd play his music a lot. Got me hooked.// He pulled the album from the stand and held it out for his perusal. //It's short. Just a mini-album with six songs on it, but I've personally enjoyed it.//

[whenshewasnice]

By the time Nathan took the album, his suprise had already evaporated into something much more dry. He was kind of tilting his head at Jono too, there, for a second.

Such few things seemed to make sense lately.

"This friend," he said, with a bit of a drawl, as he flipped the album over to inspect the back cover, "didn't happen to be called Natalie, did they?"

[sharp_as_knives]

Hanna sighed as she tried to reacclimate to Fandom after the week of warmth. She should really take more vacations.

But for now, it was back home. Well, after a brief side-trip. She was wondering at this point if anyone remembered her as female, so stopping by to see a friend seemed the way to go.

She smiled at the mural, which really did look rather good, and stepped into the relative warmth of Groovy Tunes.

[furnaceface]

Jono sensed Hannibal before he even glanced up. After all, he'd tapped into the man's senses on several occasions just to get a sense of taste. It was difficult not to know it to sense it, now. He was even going so far as to smile a bit, right at the corners of his eyes, as he looked up at--

-- her?

//Er. Afternoon, mate. One of those weekends again?//

Already?

[sharp_as_knives]

"If you mean a weekend back in the cold, then yes, I'm afraid so," she answered with a chuckle. At least he recognized her! "I hated to have to put on my coat again. It's a shame you couldn't join us."

[furnaceface]

That was not at all what Jono had meant! But he could take that reply with a grain of salt all the same, sure. He'd just... not... stare.

But lord, did Hannibal wear that outfit well.

//I thought about it,// he admitted, shrugging a shoulder as he set his guitar aside. //But tropical vacations and I don't generally mix well. I'd sooner stay here and freeze than spend my entire time there complaining about layers and tropical heat. It's no fun for me, and no fun for anybody who'd have to listen, really.//

He knew this from experience.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hanna shrugged. "It's not as though anyone there would have complained if you went shirtless. They would probably think your flames were a new fashion in swimsuit. Some optical fiber."

She shrugged off her coat, since the building was a bit warmer than outside. Her outfit was layered and warm enough for someone who'd been through Lithuanian winters. "How has the island been behaving itself?"

[furnaceface]

//Optical fiber,// Jono scoffed. //I was once asked if I'd been eating glow gummy bears, so I suppose it isn't too much of a stretch...//

The ability of humankind to reach for an answer that was easier on their brain, as opposed to accepting the obvious truth, never failed to astound him.

//It's been mostly quiet here,// he added, giving her a once-over as his brain caught up with the moment. //Nothing's gone missing or turned into something it's not supposed to be all week, until, er...//

But really, though, the way those clothes were being worn was a touch distracting.

//This weekend?//

Where was he going with this?

Oh, lord. He was looking.

[sharp_as_knives]

Humans were astoundingly good at deceiving themselves. Sometimes it was barely a challenge.

"This weekend? What happened this weekend?" Normally she would notice he was staring more than usual, but she was still rather stuck on how anybody could think "glowing gummy bears" and what might have happened this weekend.

[furnaceface]

And now Jono was somewhat stuck on the fact that Hannibal was asking that.

... And hips. Good lord, those hips.

Er. That was to say...

//You mean, you don't think there's anything, er, different right now?//

How did you miss something like that?

[justbeingbay]

Dom was back on the island, fucked-up bandaged hand and all.

He half-waved to Professor Starsmore before heading back toward the Patti Smith CDs. It had started as a suck-up-to-Ledarsky thing, but now he just liked her voice.

"Hey," he called over his shoulder. "Did you do the trip thing?"

[furnaceface]

//Afraid not. Not all that much tolerance for tropical heat, really.//

There were really just so many ways to make everyone around him miserable with his griping and moaning, on trips like that. Jonothon's wardrobe wasn't terribly Bali-friendly.

He sat at the counter for a moment, watching the boy head toward the Patti Smith. He'd been in his class last week Friday, too, and the music...

This was going to be one of those weeks, wasn't it?

//And you? Were you off to Bali? Looks like you had an eventful break, wherever you spent it.//

[justbeingbay]

"I should have gone to Bali," Dominic said, waving his injured hand in the air. "See, I wanted to spend some time with my mom 'cause stuff is so messed up here. But before I went home, I went to a party at this college where my art class is? And I managed to bash my hand open on a bottle. Fun times."

He shook his head. "Tropical heat would have been a much better idea."

[furnaceface]

If there had been any doubt before, the art helped clarify it. Jono gave a sympathetic wince, and a nod.

//Bali sounds like a walk in the park compared to a wounded hand. Will it heal, at least?// Was... Bay? ... right or left-handed? That bandage wasn't going to get in the way of... of his? His art, was it? //Seems like you keep getting th'short end of the stick. You're one of th'ones that's been displaced for someone else, aren't you?//

[justbeingbay]

It was his right hand. Dominic was slightly ambidextrous, but he was still right-handed enough that the wound made painting basically impossible for now.

"They say it will," he answered, glancing to it ruefully. "I'm supposed to go back end of the week so they can take the stitches out and all of that."

He ran the good hand back through his hair. "And yeah, sorry. I keep forgetting people know some girl, Bay, instead of me. My name's Dominic Vasquez."

[furnaceface]

//Well... It's good to meet you, Dominic,// Jono replied, //though I suppose you already know me, hm? I've had two other people in today who have.//

Seriously, someday his life was going to make sense. And then Jono was going to pinch himself. And inevitably wake up.

[justbeingbay]

Dominic nodded. "Yeah, I've had you for two classes," he said. "And wait, there are other people nobody remembers?"

He sounded intrigued, grateful -- and ever so slightly disappointed he wasn't the only one stuck in this situation anymore.

[furnaceface]

//At least two that people either don't remember, or they remember differently,// Jono confirmed with a little nod. //In Natalie's place, now there's a Nathan. And Dr. Lecter is now a Hanna.//

So, that took some getting used to. People just randomly being replaced with other versions of themselves wasn't new, but versions that managed to puzzle-piece their way into the way the island worked before... that was different.