Groovy Tunes, Tuesday

[myfifthrodeo]

Rosa had had a very busy March so far, full of projects for school that had kept her running around covered in paint and doubting herself, her sobriety, and every decision she'd ever made in her life, both before and after her death. But her projects were turned in now, and she was giving herself a well deserved break from paint fumes.

So there were no new pieces started in the store today. Just a clerk listening to Pearl Jam way too loud while she poked around on her laptop, trying to decide if she could afford to buy a new jacket for spring.

And maybe trying not to listen too closely to the lyrics when they said things like you're still alive, she said, oh do I deserve to be?

It was fine. Eddie Veder definitely wasn't singing to or about her personally.

[oh look who remembered she has townie posts to post! open!]

Comments

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph had spent most of the morning on hold with various suppliers (and the front office of a potential LARP site) and was pretty much over hold music for possibly the next year.

She was in need of a break, and Pearl Jam definitely counted as a break from
hold music.

"So this is what you've done with the place, huh?"

[myfifthrodeo]

"It is," Rosa said, looking up with an amused smirk. "Do you approve?"

Her graffiti was heavily UFO and alien-influenced, yes.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph shoved her hands in her pockets and did a slow turn in place to get a 360-degree view, then nodded.

"I think I might just be detecting a theme here. Maybe."

[myfifthrodeo]

Rosa laughed and shrugged. "What can I say? I like to lean into my heritage."

Of aliens, yes.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Definitely gives this place a distinct vibe," Steph said with a nod. "Which is, in my opinion, vital to building a solid indie record store reputation."

She said, as if she'd done it with multiple indie record stores in the past, instead of one partly by accident.

"It's super cool that you got free rein to do whatever with the decor."

[myfifthrodeo]

"Right? Especially considering the guy who gave it to me doesn't even run the place," Rosa said, shaking her head. "Summer showed up and was very confused. But she's been cool since then."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Wait, seriously?" Steph laughed. "Talk about luckily avoiding a disaster. Also, was this a theater before, or something? Because this is a sweet location."

If there were any drum kits around she was absolutely eyeing them.

[myfifthrodeo]

There were absolutely drum kits. Right under one of Rosa's first big pieces, featuring a full UFO.

"I guess? I didn't really ask. It's a sweet little building, though."

[drumsticksandd20s]

In that case, Steph was heading over to them now, already pulling the sticks out of her back pocket.

"I guess it just has that vibe. Also some nice acoustics." She eyed the drums, then picked out the set right under the middle of the UFO and played a quick riff. "But honestly, all of the buildings here are pretty cool that way."

[myfifthrodeo]

"They're really pretty," Rosa agreed, pulling out her phone to take a quick video of Steph playing. "This whole place looks like it should be on a postcard."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"You would think," Steph said, twirling the drumsticks just for show, "it would be more of a tourist draw, quirky small town charm and all, but I guess the wacky magic stuff offsets that? No wonder people thought it was weird when I first showed up and said I was just doing some sightseeing."

[myfifthrodeo]

"I guess it's a little too in-your-face," Rosa agreed. She bobbed her head in time to Steph's drumming, enjoying the way it drowned out all the background noise of the world. "Kind of makes me wonder how all the UFO nuts would respond if they had undeniable proof of aliens back home."

[drumsticksandd20s]

That was part of the appeal of drumming if you asked Steph, really.

"Instead of endless fodder for the most out-there theories possible?" she asked. "I have no idea, to be honest. I spent half my life coming up with all kinds of stories where superhuman abilities and fantastic creatures are real, and after six months living here, where they actually are, I still have to ask myself at least three times a week if I'm not having some super drawn-out dream."

[myfifthrodeo]

And Steph couldn't even hear individual molecules rattling around!

"Ha! Yeah." Rosa shook her head. "I miss the days of blissful ignorance." She frowned, then shrugged. "Of course, they usually came with being aggressively drunk and high, so maybe they weren't really so blissful."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Yeah, she'd probably drive herself up the wall critiquing the molecules' rhythm or something.

"In retrospect they rarely are." A quick backbeat fill, and then Steph paused, looking up. "Wait a second. Like, blissful ignorance... about proof of aliens?"

[myfifthrodeo]

They had terrible rhythm. Mostly they just kind of shrieked.

Rosa made a little face, realizing what she'd just said. "Um." Right. Well. It really was basically the worst kept secret in Roswell by now, so she might as well just go with it, right? It wasn't like it'd be the weirdest thing Steph had heard about around here. "Yes. Especially the parts where they have weird psychic powers and one of them is in love with my sister."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph blinked. Then blinked again, slowly.

Then, finally: "Right." Also slowly. "You know what, I feel like I should either be more surprised than I am, or like I ought to be totally blasé about it by now."

Eh. Being somewhere in between was probably healthy, all things considered.

"I mean, if I really think about it on some level? It seems like that totally tracks."