Roxanne really needed to come into this store more often.
((Anna “Roxanne” Herbert, continued from Sober))
Not for any particular reason, more just because it looked pretty cool and she didn’t have many opportunities to actually come here. It always seemed to be closed whenever she was on one of her fake shifts, and with all her stuff nowadays she just generally didn’t have a lot of time to be herself, with all her commitments nowadays, so in her mind this fell by the wayside. Which was a shame, because again, this place was pretty cool. Way more coverage in terms of genres she was into than she thought there would be. Mountain Goats, Nick Cave, walking up the indie aisle there seemed to be a ton of bands and acts here that she wanted to get into but hadn’t yet. Lot better than how the big mall shops just sold dumb compilations and whatever was on Billboard at the time. If she had a choice between Target and here, this would probably be where she’d go.
Pity that she wasn’t able to buy anything, though. No place in her home to hide it. No place in her home to play it without anyone else noticing.
But hey, window shopping had its appeal. She could have fun just going through the store. She could maybe be Roxanne just pretending she was deeper into music than she actually was.
...
No, she couldn’t, but she supposed there was still worth in trying. There was still fun just walking down this aisle, thumbing through all the store had to offer. Maybe if there was something that looked pretty enough — maybe if none of the staff were looking — she could go for a photo op. Give herself a reminder that she’d come here this evening.
She supposed that would make this night worth it.
Rings of Saturn
and this is the moment, this is exactly where she is born to be (pri-i-i-i-ivate, pri-i-i-i-ivate)
((Alexander Brooke was in need of inspiration.))
This was the case more often than not. Indeed, sometimes he worried his search for material was just a way of justifying procrastination. Still, he'd been in a songwriting rut recently, and he'd bashed his head against the metaphorical wall more than enough. Maybe he just needed a reminder of why he'd wanted to be in the band to begin with. A walk and some fresh and couldn't hurt, either.
Montague dutifully guided him to the entrance of Off the Record. Good dog. Best friend. Loyal companion.
...Ahem. Physical music stores already felt like relics of a pre-internet age, but there was something special about vinyl - he liked the way it felt in his hands, romanticized the process of using a record player. If you were going to make something part of your permanent collection, might as well go all the way and make it an event.
Before he could approach the counter to request assistance, he heard a familiar voice fling a "Yo!" in his direction. He smiled, making his way towards her.
"Hello, Roxanne. What brings you here?" Maybe they could find inspiration together, for once.
This was the case more often than not. Indeed, sometimes he worried his search for material was just a way of justifying procrastination. Still, he'd been in a songwriting rut recently, and he'd bashed his head against the metaphorical wall more than enough. Maybe he just needed a reminder of why he'd wanted to be in the band to begin with. A walk and some fresh and couldn't hurt, either.
Montague dutifully guided him to the entrance of Off the Record. Good dog. Best friend. Loyal companion.
...Ahem. Physical music stores already felt like relics of a pre-internet age, but there was something special about vinyl - he liked the way it felt in his hands, romanticized the process of using a record player. If you were going to make something part of your permanent collection, might as well go all the way and make it an event.
Before he could approach the counter to request assistance, he heard a familiar voice fling a "Yo!" in his direction. He smiled, making his way towards her.
"Hello, Roxanne. What brings you here?" Maybe they could find inspiration together, for once.
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Yugikun
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“Hey,” she said, chuckling slightly as Alex got closer, giving him… what felt like a more proper greeting. She’d said ‘yo’ in the first place because that felt like a cool thing for her to say but coming from Roxanne’s mouth it didn’t quite feel natural. Didn’t quite feel normal for her. Didn’t quite feel like something she should say right in front of the guy who, y’know, she wanted to make sure liked her. Like, hey they were friends and she was pretty sure nothing that petty could change anything but hey, she too needed to be cool, y’know? Like, Alex was the cool guy who stood at the front of the band and as the bassist she needed to make sure she didn’t fall behind or get overpowered. It was true that she needed to be the background to his spotlight because she was the bassist, but...
No. There wasn’t much of a point in attempting to hide it. Alex was cute. Had been since 10th grade, actually earlier. Was still cute even through all the girlfriends and other relationships he’d had, since then. She had to look cool in front of him and-
No. No. She just had to be... casual, about this. No point in looking cool in front of Alex, because he couldn’t see her anyway. She just had to pet the gift horse behind the ears, take this for the pleasant surprise that it was.
“Walked past this place and felt like checking it out,” she said. “Not sure if I can really buy anything, but it’s fun to look around. See what stuff they sell.”
She loosened her posture, a little bit. Took a moment to look down at Montague, — who as she, Alex, and the rest of the band had universally agreed, was the absolute best boy — and decided to wait a little bit on petting him, let introductions run through their course first.
“How about you?” She chuckled again. “Haven’t been able to see you for a while.”
No. There wasn’t much of a point in attempting to hide it. Alex was cute. Had been since 10th grade, actually earlier. Was still cute even through all the girlfriends and other relationships he’d had, since then. She had to look cool in front of him and-
No. No. She just had to be... casual, about this. No point in looking cool in front of Alex, because he couldn’t see her anyway. She just had to pet the gift horse behind the ears, take this for the pleasant surprise that it was.
“Walked past this place and felt like checking it out,” she said. “Not sure if I can really buy anything, but it’s fun to look around. See what stuff they sell.”
She loosened her posture, a little bit. Took a moment to look down at Montague, — who as she, Alex, and the rest of the band had universally agreed, was the absolute best boy — and decided to wait a little bit on petting him, let introductions run through their course first.
“How about you?” She chuckled again. “Haven’t been able to see you for a while.”
Alexander nodded. "Yes, you never really know what you'll find in a place like this. I just realized that I don't actually physically own any Depeche Mode. I find that kind of shameful, given, well, everything about me." It's not like the band needed his money, but given how much of his creative persona he had shaped around emulating its frontman, well, it was only right for him to pay his dues. He'd have to clear his mind, lock himself in a room, really listen to the record. Or would it be better to just let the music flow over him until it became part of his subconscious, rather than aggressively, actively listening?
Well, that wasn't important at the moment. He had a friend in front of him. "But it has been a while, hasn't it?" The band hadn't been able to meet for rehearsal for so long that he was starting to get antsy about it, and he could barely remember the last time he had hung out with Roxanne individually.
"Are you free? Tell you what - I can treat you to a record, and we could listen to it together. Maybe we can get some ideas for a new song, even." Listening to new music among friends was one of the simplest pleasures in life; moreso if you could channel the consumption into something productive.
Well, that wasn't important at the moment. He had a friend in front of him. "But it has been a while, hasn't it?" The band hadn't been able to meet for rehearsal for so long that he was starting to get antsy about it, and he could barely remember the last time he had hung out with Roxanne individually.
"Are you free? Tell you what - I can treat you to a record, and we could listen to it together. Maybe we can get some ideas for a new song, even." Listening to new music among friends was one of the simplest pleasures in life; moreso if you could channel the consumption into something productive.
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Yugikun
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“Huh. Really?”
Man, Roxanne really hadn’t known how much of a poser her friend was. Not owning albums? God, he was so fake synth-rock. Roxanne didn’t even know what business she had with- yeah, no, she wasn’t really all that good at pretending to be one of those indie gatekeeper types. Admittedly though, in all seriousness, it was really surprising that Alex didn’t have any albums from Depeche Mode. Like, yeah, YouTube was essentially the most ideal way to listen to music nowadays (at least for Roxanne, she knew that other people she talked to used Spotify but why pay money for what YouTube did for free? why not support artists) but the fact that Alex didn’t own any albums by the band he seemed to like the most was…
Odd.
Something Roxanne wouldn’t mind hearing elaboration on. Like, a lot of the things she asked him were really just an excuse to hear his voice more than anything but this seemed like something that-
Oh.
Um.
She listened to Alex’s next statement, heard his offer and she was admittedly slightly glad that he couldn’t see her blushing. It had taken her a moment to realize that she’d just told Alex she couldn’t buy anything but before then she’d seriously questioned how he’d known that listening to music at home wasn’t really an option. She looked down at Montague. Brought her hand into her hair and started pulling it. She was now sort of put up to the test of picking out something for him that made her look good. Maybe she could start by doing so in more than one way.
“Um. Thanks. Sure. I’m down.” She was still looking down, still blushing, still moving her hand through her hair. “Want me to buy you a Depeche Mode album in return?"
Man, Roxanne really hadn’t known how much of a poser her friend was. Not owning albums? God, he was so fake synth-rock. Roxanne didn’t even know what business she had with- yeah, no, she wasn’t really all that good at pretending to be one of those indie gatekeeper types. Admittedly though, in all seriousness, it was really surprising that Alex didn’t have any albums from Depeche Mode. Like, yeah, YouTube was essentially the most ideal way to listen to music nowadays (at least for Roxanne, she knew that other people she talked to used Spotify but why pay money for what YouTube did for free? why not support artists) but the fact that Alex didn’t own any albums by the band he seemed to like the most was…
Odd.
Something Roxanne wouldn’t mind hearing elaboration on. Like, a lot of the things she asked him were really just an excuse to hear his voice more than anything but this seemed like something that-
Oh.
Um.
She listened to Alex’s next statement, heard his offer and she was admittedly slightly glad that he couldn’t see her blushing. It had taken her a moment to realize that she’d just told Alex she couldn’t buy anything but before then she’d seriously questioned how he’d known that listening to music at home wasn’t really an option. She looked down at Montague. Brought her hand into her hair and started pulling it. She was now sort of put up to the test of picking out something for him that made her look good. Maybe she could start by doing so in more than one way.
“Um. Thanks. Sure. I’m down.” She was still looking down, still blushing, still moving her hand through her hair. “Want me to buy you a Depeche Mode album in return?"
Alexander smiled. "I'd appreciate that, thank you." It was a bit funny - by simultaneously purchasing their gifts, and even discussing what they were purchasing, the end result would be basically the same as if they'd both bought the records for themselves. It certainly felt more heart-warming this way, though. It had already been a perfectly acceptable day, but his spirits were lifting even more after this chance encounter.
Roxanne's voice was slightly quieter than it had been - she was probably looking down, petting Montague - it always annoyed Alexander when people did that while the boy was harnessed, but they'd be standing still for a bit so there really wasn't any harm to it - but she sounded a bit more nervous than usual. Strange. It's not like she had any reason to face away from him out of embarrassment, right? It only just then occurred to Alexander that he had invited a girl to hang out alone with him, presumably at his house, but he and Roxanne knew each other well enough by now that it shouldn't be strange at all, right? Right.
"How about you list a couple albums you'd be interested in, and I'll pick one out?" This way he could guarantee they'd listen to something she was interested in, while still leaving room for a little surprise.
Roxanne's voice was slightly quieter than it had been - she was probably looking down, petting Montague - it always annoyed Alexander when people did that while the boy was harnessed, but they'd be standing still for a bit so there really wasn't any harm to it - but she sounded a bit more nervous than usual. Strange. It's not like she had any reason to face away from him out of embarrassment, right? It only just then occurred to Alexander that he had invited a girl to hang out alone with him, presumably at his house, but he and Roxanne knew each other well enough by now that it shouldn't be strange at all, right? Right.
"How about you list a couple albums you'd be interested in, and I'll pick one out?" This way he could guarantee they'd listen to something she was interested in, while still leaving room for a little surprise.