Groovy Tunes, Sunday

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka had not actually realized anything was weird about the weekend. After all, she'd had a perfectly normal Saturday, which had involved a tea party with a bunch of toys and snacks and had left her room only to run to the bathroom.

Today, she left it to go to work. She did it on her ATs, since Ringo had told her she ought to practice more. And she brought a bag with her, to hold her bunny, and a whole bunch of things for the stereo.

"I brought you presents!" she announced to the stereo, once she'd gotten safely to work and turned the lights on and remembered to flip the sign to open. "I'll show you and you can pick which ones you like the best. Oh! What music do you want to play today?"

It took a while for it to answer, but Alluka was used to waiting, when it finally did make a choice, it was something upbeat that she'd never heard before. Nonetheless, Alluka was enthusiastic about it. "Great choice!" she said happily, pulling up a stool to the speakers and reaching into her bag. "Now, you're really pretty already, but I thought you'd like to change your look up a bit, so I brought you a bunch of stickers! I'll show you them, so tell me when you really like one, okay?"

She also had ribbons, and a set of playing cards so she could show the stereo a game later, so that it wouldn't get bored as easily. (It had to be boring being all alone most of the time; Alluka knew that feeling.)

Groovy Tunes is Open!

Comments

Mod Your Shopping

[that_oldsaying]

If you'd like!

Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

If you'd rather!

Re: Talk to Alluka

[soniaroadsqueen]

After her ride in the morning, Ringo had decided to just, you know, take it easy. She'd gone through town again, much more energetically than the first time. And, again, she just let her feet take her where they wished, her body remembering the old paths and destinations.

And it was Sunday, so she found herself at Groovy Tunes.

"Of course," she murmured to herself in amusement. She hadn't seen Alluka, so far, so she doubted her friend was also feeling nostalgic, but, hey, why not stop in for old time's sake?

So Ringo pushed through the door and stood for a few seconds, waiting for her eyes to adjust.

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

Well, she was about to see Alluka now, even if the Alluka was the wrong one? Did that count for something?

Alluka looked up from placing a sticker on the stereo (it was a puffy, glittery sticker of a crown) and, since she was working, called out, "Hi! How can I help you?"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo blinked. In part still trying to get her eyes to adjust, but mostly in surprise. She leaned forward, squinting. "Alluka?"

Had Alluka ever really looked that young? The years had dulled those memories.

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka blinked.

"Yes?" she ventured, since that was her name. She was still chipper but... also confused now. The lady was super pretty, but she didn't know any grown ups who looked like her.

At least, she didn't think so.

"Am, am I not supposed to be here? Do I know you?"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh, no, you're fine, Alluka." Ringo shook her head. "I guess I didn't expect to see you here. But it is Sunday, isn't it, so of course you should be here."

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

... er.

"Yes?" she said, rather uncertainly, rocking back on her heels for a moment. "Can, can I help you?"

Alluka was so, so confused.

Re: Talk to Alluka

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I guess twenty years does change a person."

Ringo grinned, then lifted one foot to draw attention to her ATs. "Sure you don't recognize me, even a little bit?"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

"Twenty years?" Alluka echoed, her gaze drawn to the ATs.

She blinked. Then blinked again. She knew those, at least.

"Ringo?" she asked, looking up.

Had Ringo gotten all old?

Re: Talk to Alluka

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Yep!" Ringo grinned.

"Guess I don't really look the same, huh?" She reached up and brushed a hand through her short hair.

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

"You're still really pretty," Alluka said generously, which had the added benefit of being true. "Are, are you always going to be like that now?"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Pretty?" Ringo teased, even though she knew what Alluka meant.

She shook her head. "But, no, I think I'll be back to the Ringo you know by tomorrow or the day after." She grinned. "You should tell her that she's pretty, though. She'd like that."

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

"But you're her," Alluka said, "so, so wouldn't she already know?"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well, I'm here later, right? So I don't know if she'll remember what you said to me."

She smiled. "Besides, everyone likes to hear that they're pretty, right? Even if they've already heard it?"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy had decided to look in Groovy Tunes to see what they had for K-Pop selections. Almost forty and she still loved the ridiculousness of the genre. She'd expected to see more of the same retro-style designs like from the rest of the island, but what she hadn't expected to see was--

"Alluka?!"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

Her stereo (okay, Jono's stereo) was never going to get all the stickers she'd brought for it at this rate! But it was hard to complain when she got friends coming in to see her.

"That's me!" she yelped as her head shot up and she whipped around to see who said her name that way and then her eyes just got huge.

Ringo showing up all old (sorry, Ringo) meant that Alluka was at least vaguely prepared for this and could make a guess at who this was.

"Kathy?!"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[spin_kick_snap]

"Alluka!" Kathy said, opening up her arms for a hug. It had been years since she'd seen Alluka--and her version was decidedly older than this one.

More Fandom oddness, apparently.

"Hey, sweetheart. How've you been?"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

It was shocking to see Kathy--especially after, well, after--but Alluka had never been one to look at a wondrous present and think bad things about it.

Or to hesitate about accepting it.

"Kathy!" she shrieked with glee and flung herself at her. "Kathy, Kathy you're here! I've been good! But, but how about you?!"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[spin_kick_snap]

"Of course you've been good," Kathy said, swinging her up and into her arms. Alluka had never been very large or heavy and Kathy'd had over twenty years of heroing to build up her strength. "I never expected anything less. You working here to help out your Papa?" She squeezed the girl tightly, burying her face in her hair for a moment. "Things have been tough for me for a little while, but they're getting better. Because I've got some very good friends to help me."

Very good friends. The outfit she was wearing was an Alluka original, of course. She only ever wore Alluka's designs when she was coming back to the island.

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

And the current Alluka would be so confused by that fact, she really would be.

But pleased.

Alluka clung tightly to Kathy, because it was never good to not give a hug everything she had, and made no move to get away. "I'm glad you're getting better," she said earnestly. "You should always be happy, Kathy. It's important. And yes! I'm helping, Papa! I was making friends with the stereo when you came in."

Re: Talk to Alluka

[spin_kick_snap]

"I made some dumb choices when I was younger which kept me from being really happy," Kathy explained. "But I'm fixing them now. And I think I'll be a lot happier for it, even if fixing them has been hard."

She'd be feeling guilty over Alex's expression as she handed over the papers, the keys, and her ring for a long time.

"Making friends with the stereo?" she asked. "Is that why it's looking so colorful and pretty?"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[that_oldsaying]

"You'll make it all work," Alluka said, conviction in her voice. Kathy always made things work out. Alluka really and truly believed that. "And you'll be happy for it."

She reached out for Kathy's hand. "Did you want to come and meet the stereo? Papa's complained that it's mean, but I think the stereo's really nice. We're picking out decorations for it now!"

Re: Talk to Alluka

[spin_kick_snap]

"You're right," Kathy agreed with a small smile. "I think I took the first few steps in doing it, too. You know what's a good step to being happy, Alluka? Accepting yourself for who you are and not trying to live up to what everyone else thinks is right. You always do that and I'm very proud of you."

Even as an adult, Alluka was a little...eccentric.

"Why does your Papa think the stereo's mean?" she asked, allowing herself to be tugged over to it. "It looks very festive."

OOC

[that_oldsaying]

It's been raining all weekend. Sigh.