Groovy Tunes, Monday Evening

[furnaceface]

As one of, what, possibly three people on the island who hadn't been affected by Fandom's whims over the weekend, Jono was actually in a fairly decent mood today. And why shouldn't he be? The last time he'd found himself twenty years older thanks to Fandom's whims, he'd had a pair of boots thrown at his head.

Still and all, he'd been terrible at opening the shop over the weekend anyway, and had decided to make it up tonight by not only opening the Groovy Tunes, but also putting a 'buy one CD, get a second one free' sign up in the window in an attempt to attract customers.

Who knew? Maybe he could introduce the island's population to something they'd never heard before. That was always fun.

[OOC: Open! OCD-free!]

Comments

[bestatmystery]

"Ooo," Lottie said, looking at the sign and then blinking innocently up at Jono. "What's a CD?"

She absolutely knew what CDs were. She personally had a large record collection at home, for petesake. But she'd learned that adults tended to make the greatest bug-eyed frustration faces when a youth asked that sort of question.

[furnaceface]

Jono's look was less 'bug-eyed frustration,' and more a thoughtful tilt of the head and a brief upwards twitch of one eyebrow.

//How I describe one to you depends on which end of the timeline you're coming at it from, luv.// He pointed at her. //Future, past, or present and giving me a difficult time?//

And if it was the latter, then he would have to get very sad at her. As was only right.

[bestatmystery]

He caught her! What a canny sort of adult he was!

"The tertiary," she said, smiling. "There's still plenny of 'em about back home, don't worry. I tend to prefer to the vinyls myself, though."

Because her mother still had an old record player and it was more interesting to play with than a CD player.

[furnaceface]

It was uncanny how canny this former X-Man could be!

//Ah, a customer after my own heart, then. Never did get the hang of mp3s, really. I'll bring home CDs in a pinch, but records just seem... warmer. More real. My vinyl collection is...//

He waved a hand a little, as though that would demonstrate just how ridiculous his collection actually was.

//I used to know where my dresser was, once.//

[bestatmystery]

Oh Jono. Lottie just fell head-over-heels into a personality crush on you.

"That's what I want mine to be like some day!" she said. "Though Mum already swears my dresser's nowhere to be seen."

[furnaceface]

//Then your Mum isn't looking hard enough,// Jono decided. //Or you could stand to bring home more vinyl. Not that I'm shamelessly attempting to sell you any. Everyone ought to have more vinyl, really.//

This from the guy who had sold his soul to Gaunt because it came up in conversation during the purchase of a rare Led Zep album.

//We do get a decent variety in when I can manage it, though. New and old. Having access to the whole of the multiverse makes that a touch easier.//

[bestatmystery]

Admittedly, that sort of music fandom was a bit more Jack's bag, back home. He being the one who failed the written on a Mod-off challenge because he refused to acknowledge The Whom as a quality band.

"Oooo, yes! Kathy said sumthin about different universes having different music. Like her Beatles were totally different from my Beetles," Lottie's were four fabulous ladies, and thus better, "and that you lot have somethin called a Kurt Cobain."

[furnaceface]

//... Your reality didn't have Nirvana and that cuts me straight to the heart,// Jono said, and now it was time for him to wear his scandalized adult face. Now. While he stepped out from behind the counter to head directly for just that. //I was going to ask how your Beetles were different from our Beatles, but Nirvana.//

This was very important, Lottie. You had no idea.

[bestatmystery]

"We had a Todd Baxter and Exercise Yard," Lottie explained, all set to follow Jono and be properly educated in the ways of this 'Nirvana' business. "They revolutionized music in 1991 by making it WELL DEPRESSED."

The ghost of Todd Baxter even sort of looked like Kurt Cobain. It was an easy parallel.

[living_endless]

"Hi, stranger," Didi said, wandering on in and looking about the record shop. At first glance it seemed to have changed little from when she was in high school. "Home away from home?"

[furnaceface]

//Home downstairs from what is technically home these days, though I could stand to spend more time there,// Jono clarified, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the counter, giving Didi a warm nod in greeting. //Might as well be home. I would just spend all my time here if people didn't expect me to see daylight from time to time.//

[living_endless]

"Daylight is overrated," Didi joked, grinning back at him. "No, it's good you still work here. Wanna show me what I should be listening to?"

[furnaceface]

//Based on my tastes, or what you in particular have been missing? You've been away for a few Disney movie releases, you know,// he noted, nodding toward the soundtracks. //But there are some indie musicians with a fun sound that you might enjoy, too.//

[living_endless]

"Based on what makes you happy," Didi decided. "I've seen most of the Disney movies, but I haven't listened to the soundtracks all that often. But somebody new ... new's usually good, right?""

[furnaceface]

//Usually, unless it isn't,// Jono agreed, as though that was meant to somehow mean something. //You might enjoy Pentatonix - they're an a cappella group. Really only started making a name for themselves after you left. Janelle Monae is always fabulous, Bruno Mars is fun...//

It was difficult to summarize enjoyable music from the past several years, really. There was always so much of it.

[living_endless]

"Janelle Monae," Didi decided, looking at the CD cover. "I like the way she dresses."

Totally cromulent reason to choose music, right? She thumbed through the rack for a moment more, seemingly looking for words to say as much as more CDs.

"I got a job," she said, sounding proud of herself. "And a place to live."

[furnaceface]

There were absolutely worse reasons to choose music. And really, Jono was positive that she'd made the correct choice. The absolute correct choice.

//Oh?// He perked up a little at that. At both of those things, really. He hadn't even considered that maybe she hadn't arranged for either of those things before coming to the island. But then, when you had every last moment to live, perhaps it was that much easier to live in the moment? //Well done, luv. Where're you working? And living?//

[not_every_mage]

"Professor Starsmore," Anders greeted, a little awkwardly because this whole subject was awkward. "Glad I found you here. I have something to ask about ... that thing we discussed a few weeks ago."

Namely, how to stop the spirit living in his little sister's head from killing anybody. That thing.

[furnaceface]

//Ah, yes... that thing.// Jono nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets and bunching his shoulders up a little bit. //She was, er, out last week, wasn't she?//

He'd sensed it. And by the time he'd managed to trip his way out of his apartment and toward the dorms, the Nanika-sprawl had passed.

[NFB Please]

[not_every_mage]

"She was?" Anders was surprised, and he sighed out a curse. "I didn't know. Do you think she did anything to worry us?"

Re: [NFB Please]

[furnaceface]

Jono shook his head a little.

//I don't think so. I couldn't find anything anywhere saying that somebody was hurt, at any rate. I probably would've been able to figure that one out quickly enough after she left off again.//

What with all of the fear and agony that would have happened, there.

//You didn't know?//

Oh boy.

//Then... what was it you wanted to discuss, mate?//

Re: [NFB Please]

[not_every_mage]

"Exactly this," Anders said, with a desperate little laugh. "Is there any sign Nanika's coming out? Does she look different or sound different or anything we could let people know to watch for? Maybe whoever she spoke to didn't even know what was happening."

Re: [NFB Please]

[furnaceface]

//She...// Jono's brow furrowed a little. //Becomes very demanding. And succinct. She'll drop the cute childish manner of Alluka and just tell you to give her what she wants. A dead giveaway would be her eyes and mouth... Though I'm not certain if they always go all-black the way they did for me, and that only happened after I satisfied her demands.//

It had been... somewhat horrifying, though that horror had obviously been exacerbated somewhat by the fact that she'd just ripped out three of his fingernails with a thought at the time.

Re: [NFB Please]

[not_every_mage]

"Demanding," Anders echoed. "And with eyes all black. Sounds charming. But at least the change in manner would be something to go on."

Though he was still reluctant to warn anyone else based on that alone. The island didn't need people being paranoid about every time Alluka was in a bad mood.

Re: [NFB Please]

[furnaceface]

Jono nodded a little.

//All she said to me were her demands. And I imagine the switch from Alluka to Nanika would be rather jarring if Alluka is in a good mood at the time, or something. If there are people who can sense auras or psionic signatures, the change ought to be obvious. It's the ones who can't that I'm more worried about...//