fandomtownies | Groovy Tunes, Sunday

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Groovy Tunes, Sunday

Right, then. First week of the new semester was under everybody's belt, people were starting to settle in, what better time to put out the ol' NOW HIRING sign in the window than today?

... Sure, the stereo seemed to be on its old nonsense today, playing a Best of Queen album nonstop with no way of shutting it off, but given that it was Queen, just for once Jono was willing to let it slide.

Have at it, stereo. Have at it.

[OOC: Open! And with free shifts every day but Saturday!]

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Envy wasn't looking for a job. She wasn't really looking for much at all, except a short change of scenery, because the week back in Brazil had been pretty intense and Portalocity had given her a bunch of free trips to make up for fucking up the entirety of her December, so, here she was.

Bright red winter coat and all.

"I see you moved the store."

//Last one got a shark in it,// Jono explained.

A very large one. He looked up from some paperwork, a little smile already creasing the corners of his eyes as he pulled himself to his feet.

//You seem to have found the new location well enough. Hello, Envy.//

"I still had to go to the old place first." But she didn't sound all that bothered by it. Probably testament to whatever fondness she had for him, because Envy and patience didn't always go easy together. "But it's a small island."

That, too.

"Hey, Jono."

//Had a 'we moved' sign up in the window for a while, but those things only last so long, I suppose,// Jono mused. //But, as you said, small island. And now you've got my charming company and the piano all in the same building.//

The benefit of converting the theatre to the music shop was that the stage was still back there, waiting for somebody to get up there, approach that sad, neglected piano, and play it.

//Good to see you again, luv. How've things been?//

"Busy. But that probably goes without saying." In all honesty, she wasn't even sure how long it had been since they'd talked last, but 'busy' had covered her life's general theme since high school. "Recently got stuck in LA for over a month because Portalocity wouldn't let me go home."

//Busy generally goes without saying,// Jono agreed with a small nod. He knew how it could be. Even now, with fewer responsibilites than he'd had at so many other points in his life, he could relate to 'busy.' //Was it a productive month, at least? I bloody swear, Portalocity's been doubling down on its nonsense lately.//

He didn't trust it. But then, he'd been around back in the days of the Nothing. He'd seen Portalocity's spectacular customer service fails on several occasions before.

"Anyone else get stuck anywhere interesting?"

It seemed to beg the question.

"Or maybe in a seemingly-infinite loop of portal layovers?"

//Apparently one of my tenants upstairs was trapped here for a while,// Jono offered. Absolutely clueless about the fact that his other tenant was currently still stuck in a seemingly-infinite loop of portal layovers. //Mostly I think we've just had portals grabbing up more folks and dropping them here than usual. Or perhaps I'm only just noticing them more.//

"Oh, the usual 'stealing people' shtick," Envy replied because, well, wasn't that what it was? "Anyone interesting, or is that crass to ask?"

//Around here, aren't most people interesting?// Jono shrugged easily. //At least to some degree. Fairly certain Hannibal and I have a few students with that particular trouble this semester. We had a boarder for a short while in our home with it as well, and a pair of houseguests over for dinner as well. Aliens, elves, annoying aristocratic types... Fandom takes all kinds, I suppose.//

"Mm." Well, she didn't necessarily agree about even most being interesting, but she also didn't have to say that out loud. "And how is Hannibal, anyway?"

Turned out Envy had not lost her ability to sound completely, unshakable neutral.

//He's...// There was a long moment's pause. //Good.//

Little too long there, Jon.

//Had a throwdown back in New York over Christmas. Spent an afternoon in jail after being arrested protecting children. Par for th'course, back there.//

That was a pretty long pause, Jono.

Actually: "That was a pretty long pause, Jono." Her tone was a little bit of a drawl. "Also I assume the arrest wasn't for 'protecting children' in the police's view."

Jono tilted his head a little, and then lifted a shoulder.

//We have a... history of bigots attempting to murder our students,// he explained. //Hannibal took exception to that. One of those bigots got,// killed, //hurt while lining up a shot on one of the kids. It's... complicated. Always is, with mutants. Police turn a blind eye to a lot of things, but not when it's a human dealing with one of their own.//

"Hmmh." It wasn't a sound without empathy, but it was... on teh vague side, apart from that. "Everyone's okay though, right? For now."

//Aside from some rattled nerves and a few bruises, everyone who matters is fine,// Jono agreed with a small nod of his head. //At least until the next time.//

There would always be a next time.

//Keeps us on our toes, anyway.//

"Good." The fact that everyone was fine, not the staying on their toes. But she didn't specify.

There was a pause, and then she took a look around.

"So you combined the store with the theater, huh?"

Jono glanced around as well, and then nodded.

//After the shark, seemed like the thing to do,// he replied. //People were losing interested in live theatre, this place was still standing, and the stage setup seemed like it'd be good for maybe... live music or something. Haven't really had a chance to put it to use for that yet, mind. Fewer musicians around the island these days. Or just quieter ones.//

"There weren't that many back when I was around, either." At least she thought so. But then, Natalie hadn't been the most social of people.

Or, at all.

"Maybe it's evened back out, somehow."

//Perhaps so,// Jono allowed. //Plenty of music fans, mind. That much hasn't changed.//

"Just not enough of them to merit a whole store with CDs," Envy replied, with a touch of wryness.

There were a lot of territories - in her case, universes - where her music wasn't getting published in physical format at all.

In fact, that was most of them.

//Unfortunately,// Jono replied, his own tone about as wry. //But you know I stock th'music that matters.//

So... hers, of course. Naturally.

Naturally.

"So, basically just me and David Bowie, then?"

She was... mostly joking? Probably? She looked like she was!

//You and Bowie,// Jono agreed easily. And paused. //And Pearl Jam, because everyone needs to have at least one bit of shameless self-indulgence in life, and apparently mine is the vocal talents of Eddie Vedder.//

He'd been a teen in the 90s and he would forever be unrepentant about this.

"Fair," Envy allowed with a little nod. "Alive is a good one."

//Alive is a good one,// Jono agreed. //But there, beyond that, anything else on the shelves is just filler.//

This was not true.

"Exactly," Envy said, nodding solemnly.

But, nah. She hadn't dedicated the majority of her life to a career in music for the past five years only to not see the value in a wide variety of things.

"So are the ones that matter at least selling okay?"

//For an island this size, you know, they are? The island's long-term ~~NPC~~ locals enjoy bragging rights about having an alumnus from th'school make a name for herself.//

He couldn't sell much music here, but he could sell Envy.

He did upsell a lot. That probably didn't hurt.

"People on the street did seem to recognize me more here than in the average small town," Envy replied, with clear approval because modesty had not been one of her traits for many. many years now. "It's nice to be liked."

There was some irony to that statement, since 'being liked' had never actually been a priority of hers. Even less so than modesty.

//I'd say you've earned it, luv,// Jono noted. You know, whether she'd been aiming for that or not. //There are worse things to be than adored.//

Just take his word for that one.

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Groovy Tunes, Sunday

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