beauty's in the eye of the beholder

here comes the sun, and i say it's alright

[kcmedinas]

 (  jan luis castellanos, cis male, he/him, oc  ) oh snap! is that KC MEDINA? they work over at high volume where some of the other employees have labeled them as THE GREGARIOUS. that’s probably because they can be a bit ( fun loving ) but also pretty ( scatter brained ) they’re 26 and they’ve been living in woodstock for 18 YEARS, ON AND OFF.  it must be their shift because i totally hear BLONDIE blasting from the record store. ( aesthetics: almost always sporting a selection of colorful bandaids, looking for sunglasses when they’re on your head, doodles on any loose leaf paper, making friends in line at the store ) [ mace, 21, est, she/they ]   @volumeupdates

SEASON 1 RECAP   :

in plot drop 3 kc is at the store when the backroom is lit on fire,  he circles back in to make sure a fellow coworker gets out  &  ends up with third degree burns up his left side,  which he goes to the hospital for.  he spends a few days there before being allowed to return home.

kc’s best friend trip comes home after touring gone wrong  &  crashes on his couch until he finds an actual apartment.  there’s a little conflict about rent  &  whether trip should be there at all between trip, jamie (kc’s actual roommate) and blair (partial owner of the medina singh household couch) but kc’s happy to have him there.

the same day  &  borderline the same time as plot drop 6 is going on kc and marty make their way to the sheriffs station after a employee meeting regarding what to do now that jerry is officially missing, having decided they would go and tell the sheriff they’d been worried just in case it came up. the sheriff basically tells them he knows  &  to shoo  !

max and kc have a brief little situation that started with max having a crush on kc,  peaked at them kissing,  and dissolved just as quickly with max turning him down though there was a mutual liking there  !  kc’s not fussed about it or anything,  also timeline wise i think this spanned a couple things so just assume it was a thing at some point. you don’t need specifics.

high volume closes  &  kc gets a job at joann’s fabrics & craft store because he’s monumentally bored with all the sudden free time.  i think he probably keeps it even when high volume opens again,  just for sewing and fabric discounts.

trip moves off the couch  !  he’s all grown up  !  bye trip i love you trip 

runaway yesterday, a band consisting of nisa, ethan, josie  &  kc perform at battle of the bands.  it’s their first real gig and they don’t win, but they do get approached by john corrigan who may just open up some opportunities for them  !  who knows  !

ON TO THE BASICS  ,

full name   :   kendall chayanne medina

alias   /   nickname   :   goes by kc pretty exclusively.  people who’ve known him since they were young would probably remember a time he went by kendall,  but no one really knows his middle name.

gender   /   pronouns   :   cis man,   he/him

sexual   /   romantic orientation   :  bisexual & biromantic,   no preference

birthday   :  march 25th

zodiac   :  aries

height   :  6′2

born   :  puerto viejo,  costa rica

current location   :  woodstock,  Illinois

faceclaim   :   jan luis castellanos

notable features   :   has a few dumb,  tiny tattoos,  both ears pierced  &  a septum piercing he refuses to take out

STATS   ,

compassion   :   9/10

empathy   :   9/10

passion   :   6/10

creativity   :   10/10

teamwork   : 10/10

initiative   :   7/10

restraint   :   3/10

positives   :   loyal,  creative,  fun loving,  easygoing,  honest,  genuine 

negatives   :   irresponsible,  flaky,  scatter brained,  restless,  easily bored

BIO   ,

kendall was born from a one night stand that took place years into a marriage that everyone around them felt was as stable as could be.   the medinas had recently moved to costa rica from a small town in illinois to run an animal rescue center a short ten minute drive from the beach front,  founded on their own, a dream that came at a cost. the woman’s name was daniela and it was harmless the first times they spoke, but all it took was one late night and a few too many drinks for that to change.   even then, it was supposed to be a harmless one time thing. what adrien medina’s wife didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her and daniela hadn’t contacted him in the days afterwards. it didn’t come up at all until a month later, when daniela appeared at the very spot they’d first met and told him she was pregnant.

reasonably,   his wife was not happy.   deciding they would be the ones to raise the baby when he was born was not an easy process,   but it was the choice they ultimately came to. in a big way, he felt like something they were both obligated to,   not something they wanted but were now responsible for regardless.   they tried to make the marriage work for three years before the split that had been building from the beginning. kendall’s dad stayed in puerto viejo to keep the animal rescue center going, while his mom moved all the way back to her hometown of woodstock,  illinois where her parents still lived.

originally kendall spent in large part time with his dad,  but after a few years the animal rescue center was taking up more and more of his time and kendall was a quick moving, never stay still kid.   an arrangement was sorted between the two that kendall would spend the school year with his mom in illinois and summers back in costa rica starting when kendall was seven.  it worked, tentatively, for quite a while, but what kendall most served as to his mom would always be a reminder of past betrayal.

when kendall was thirteen he began going to summer camp for the summer instead of costa rica, through a decision that he had no part in.   summers were getting busier at his dad’s place and his mom still wanted her time off, so summer camp it was. this is where he garnered the nickname kc, given to him by a friend and never shaken. he got into a whole lot of trouble every summer without fail. it was mostly harmless stuff, but it was the only surefire way he knew to get his mom’s attention when he felt like he’d been handed off, who always inevitably found out about it. he did holidays and vacations in costa rica sometimes, but it wasn’t really the same, and it got increasingly hard to avoid the obvious truths of both his parents trying to skirt around having him.

during his high school years he spent less time at home,   more time wandering through woodstock.   these are the years he grew comfortable with high volume, already semi-familiar with it because the owner was a long time friend of both his parents from before they’d decided to leave for costa rica at all.  he could be seen all over the place depending on when you caught him, but high volume was the only place he really settled into. the people were nice, the music was good, and it really didn’t take long before jerry knew him better than either of his parents had in quite a while. he had camp during summers and ended up liking it so much he was a counselor from ages seventeen to twenty, but aside from those eight weeks of the year high volume became the place he went to when he didn’t want to go home.

he tried the college thing out at woodstock community college,  but academics were never really his thing. he was just so, so bored, and being uninspired isn’t a good look for an artist.  his mom had been wanting to move out of town for ages, tired of feeling stuck, and she told him she’d be leaving for chicago when he’d successfully completed one year at college.  true to word, she left the summer after his freshman year. he made an attempt to continue, but with the push to not let his mom down lessened by her absence he only lasted until the end of his second year before dropping out. it was two weeks after he’d officially called it quits that he interviewed for high volume, and the rest is history.

PERSONALITY   ,

in unofficial high school class superlatives kc was named biggest class clown a total of twelve times.   he has a very lighthearted demeanor and rarely takes anything seriously, sometimes to the point of frustration to those around him. he’s very rarely malicious but does tend to have a pigtail-pulling sense of humor,   liable to prod and poke and go a little too far before he realizes he probably should’ve stopped three steps ago.  it’s a trait softened by overt affection and loud laughter,   just as quick to pull you back in as he was to push you away.

it’s hard to predict what he’ll do,   but never hard to know what’s on his mind. he has an opinion about everything unless it matters, at which point he’d rather avoid thinking about it entirely, but he could probably form one on important things too. he just doesn’t want to.   he wants to live only the sunny and light and fun parts of life, and for the most part he’s been pulling it off for years now.   if you tapped into his brain all you would hear at any given moment is the crazy frog song.

he considers himself to be friends with almost everyone  !  when it comes to people less close to him he can be flaky, forgetting to appear when he should and then popping up when he wasn’t asked to. he knows how to be a solid presence, but it’s not an effort he feels like putting in for everyone he’s ever met. he gets bored easily and he almost never shuts up.  information sticks in his brain pretty easily about things he’s actually interested in;   he remembers coffee orders and peoples’ favorite movie, but he simply does not know how to solve a fraction.

all of which being said,  he is actually a pretty good person to have in your corner when he is putting in the effort.  he can be very attentive and patient,  and he’s always very warm.   genuine, and could probably afford to be literally even a little bit more shy than he ever is. he grew up around a lot of passive aggressiveness and a lot of anger as a whole, none of which was his fault but still got aimed his way sometimes in a he just happened to be in the middle sense. it’s the exact sort of way he doesn’t want to be and doesn’t want to give into, so there’s very little that he can’t except and work with as long as it’s honest and straightforward. he is an excellent communicator in relationships / dynamics with others, but it’s kind of an accident born out of transparency.

TL;DR ( fair ): 

his parents moved to costa rica shortly before he was born. dad cheated, he’s not biologically his moms but he ended up hanging with her most of his childhood. he’s pretty much lived in woodstock since he was seven, but for a while he spent part of summers in costa rica and then at a local camp. otherwise he’s been all woodstock all the time.

spent a lot of time in high volume prior to working there because him and his mom are weird n wonky and he didnt wanna be at home. got pretty close to jerry,  who was already a long time friend of his parents since before they moved. he’s worked at high volume for like ... 6 years,  since around the time he dropped out of college  !!

very sweet very chatty very very genuine. what you see is what you get,  at least on behalf of himself.  obviously he is pulling off some lies on behalf of jerry but tomato tomatah.  he just likes to have fun and make people laugh  !!  very attentive and surprisingly self sufficient. i cannot stress how little this man likes being alone.

re:  the store as a whole,   it’s very much been like a second home for a while and therefore the people within it are very important and close to his heart.   he’s not shy at all about the way he feels towards people and i think everyone matters to him a lot  !!  if u let him he will give everyone a smooch on the cheek upon his (probably late) entrance to the store !!

WANTED CONNECTIONS   :

fwb / hookups   —   the silly big heart does in fact leave room for stuff like this but he’s a pretty easy going guy?? so either consistent thing or an occasional whenever it happens it happens thing or it happened once? all chill. will make pancakes next morning if u stay over

romance???   —   i will also accept a crush thing it feels weird for him to exist without liking someone

ex(es)  —   he’s been here since he was really young and i will refer back to the silly big heart.  couldve been literally at any time,  he doesnt do long things as often not cause he doesnt want them they just dont often happen for him but !! details are v flexible!!  probably on good terms he is not a grudgey person!!

summer pals  —   the summer camp he went to was pretty local if anybody wants to say ur muse also went to summer camps here n there or was a counselor w him or smth

i still love friends!! he’s friendly!!

ANYTHING ELSE!! these were just some vibes but !!!

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩   ,

     IF KC TURNED RIGHT AROUND and walked back into the apartment, trip wouldn’t even blame him. were their roles reversed, it’s exactly what he would do. fortunately, kc isn’t anything like trip. they may share the same sunny disposition and aversion to overly serious conversation, but trip’s always been made of more jagged edges than kc. things stick for him, issues snag, whereas the same issues seem to roll off of kc’s back like water. sure, maybe he should give trip the middle finger and go — hell, it’d probably be the only thing to keep him from making the same mistake next year — but he won’t, and trip knows he won’t, otherwise he wouldn’t even be here ; he’s not exactly in the habit of apologizing for things he doesn’t expect to be forgiven for.

     after kc settles in and the guitar is returned to the back seat, trip wastes no time in getting the car out of the parking lot and on the road towards the diner. ❝ and rob you of the perfect thing to get me for my birthday ? no way, dude. oh, and speaking of gifts, ❞ he nudges his chin towards the tub of brownies still sitting on the dash. ❝ there’s the bribe i mentioned. i tried to make them into cool shapes to make up for the gift being cheap and last minute, but they kinda fell apart on me. still taste fantastic though, ❞ assuming the headless dinosaur he stole on the drive over is anything to go by, which it is.

it’s  true  that  kc  would  consider  himself  a  forgiving  man.  very  little  is  worth  holding  onto  anger  for,  most  wrongs  roll  over  his  shoulders  so  quickly  he  doesn’t  even  always  realize  they  were  there.  if  anything,  it’s  easier  with  trip,  because  kc  knows  him.  he  knew  him  when  they  were  miles  apart  and  trip  was  bouncing  between  stages  without  a  care  in  the  world,  knew  him  when  he  showed  up  on  kc’s  doorstep  looking  like  a  kicked  puppy,  knows  him  happy  and  pissed  off  and  sad,  though  that  one’s  more  rare.  he’s  the  easiest  person  on  earth  to  forgive.  kc  does  it  without  blinking.  

                       it’s  funny,  though.  he  enjoyed  the  song.

❛   i  already  have  your  birthday  present,  and  you’re  not  getting  more.  i’m  not  made  of  money.   ❜   humor-light,  he  reaches  for  the  brownies.  he  holds  up  the  dinosaur,  one  bite  short  of  being  a  full  brownie.  ❛   jesus,  talk  about  violent.  you  know  beheadings  haven’t  been  legal  since  like,  1939  ?   ❜  he  leaves  that  one,  so  as  to  not  finish  off  trip’s  gruesome  scene.  instead,  he  takes  another  and  crams  as  much  of  it  into  his  mouth  in  one  bite  as  he  can,  a  clearly  less  aggressive  method.

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲   ,

🎸

“really. what, you think i’m stupid for it?” they ask with a smirk, chuckling. it wouldn’t be surprising; marty’s been told they have a bad habit of rolling over and they suppose it does spill over when it comes to self-preservation. though, they’d argue they’re pretty good in a fight or flight situation. “i guess you’re right, about self-preservation, i just don’t know if i’d have the balls to actually live with it. but hey, maybe i’m just talkin’ out of my ass, y’know?” marty shrugs, laughing at the idea that they’d do a one-eighty from what they expect of themself. “maybe i’ll become a total asshole in a survival situation that not only doesn’t scooch for anyone, but actually just pushes anyone and everyone just for funsies.” they tilt their head in interest, raising their eyebrow before chuckling at kc’s words. “okay, then, would you say you’d watch your neighbour just float down, whistle the celine dion tune as you watch them disappear a la leo dicaprio?” they return the smile, letting go of the fence and walking over to the completely-a-hundred-percent-safe-entrance of the building and walking in. it still smells like a stale pack cigarettes would taste and it still feels like time isn’t real, save for the few spots where nature took over. “really? you’re gonna paint us like one of your french girls?” marty jokes, giving kc a teasing smile before she looks around the place. “god, i can’t remember the last time i came here. pretty sure some raccoon just fuckin’ stole the blanket i left here.” she a takes picture of him, barely taking the time to even frame it properly. “so, what do you think? still unimpressed?” the noise of the polaroid picture coming out of the camera echoes just a tiny bit in marty’s ears. “by the way, if you lie, the picture will show.” marty points at kc, eyebrows raising in a teasing manner.

“   woah,  gee,  no.   ”  he  holds  hands  up  in  mock  surrender,  laughter  on  lips.  he’d  be  stupid  to  think  marty  was  stupid  for  anything,  he  knows  them  too  well.  he’s  not  naive,  in  that  way  at  least.  “   i  think  you’re  a  lot  nicer  than  i  am  for  it.  or,  kinder  at  least.   ”  nice  is  a  different  thing,  and  they’re  pretty  evenly  matched  in  terms  of  being  friendly.  kc,  though,  feels  more  likely  to  push  someone  off  a  door  into  hypothermic  waters.  it’s  not  something  he’s  ever  thought  about  himself  before.  the  joys  of  hypotheticals  with  friends.  “   yeah,  i  would  totally  just  watch  them  sink.  float?  would  they  float  or  sink?   ”  he  doesn’t  know,  he’s  never  actually  been  in  waters  teeming  with  dead  and  deader  bodies  just  hanging  around.  “   but  i  wouldn’t  whistle,  i’m  not  a  complete  asshole.   ”  he  follows  marty’s  lead,  and  there  is  a  lot  to  be  liked  about  the  place.  it’s  sort  of  like  the  way  high  volume  seems  special  amidst  everything  corporate  surrounding  them,  everything  unique  ripped  out  from  the  roots  while  the  record  store  stands  tall,  all  quirks  and  character.  some  things  should  be  left  alone.  change  is  good,  but  not  everything  needs  to.  “   i  would  steal  your  blanket  if  you  left  it  in  my  house  too,   ”  he  points  out,  unexpected  click  of  camera  shortly  following.  hums  his  consideration,  as  though  he  does  have  to  think  about  it.  “   i’ll  admit,  it’s  pretty  cool.   ”

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩   ,

status : closed for @kcmedinas​​ setting : outside the medina - singh apartment complex

     HE’S A BAD BEST FRIEND. that’s the only thing trip can think when it finally dawns on him, two months too late, what the nagging feeling he’s had in the back of his head since march is : he forgot kc’s birthday. he forgot kc’s birthday again. more accurately, he forgot kc’s birthday for the third year in a row. 

     his morning becomes a whirlwind, apartment a mess of paper scraps and brownie ingredients. plans are suddenly cancelled, afternoons freed up, work schedules double— no, triple checked. by noon he’s rolling up to kc’s apartment with flour stains on his pants and a baker’s batch of fudge - nut brownies sitting on the dashboard. when he sees kc step out into the parking lot, summoned by a series of staccato honks that’ve become a regular call signal between them, trip hauls himself halfway out the car window, guitar in hand, and greets his friend with a winning smile and an F#.

hey, kace, i know it’s may but i think i forgot a very special day

i wanna make it up to you if you’ll give me the chance i’ve got the day planned out and a bribe on the dash

so just get in the car let’s go for a drive we’ll get milkshakes at fred’s and toast to you being alive

i know that’s a lot but what do you say ? ‘cuz i really wanna tell you with no grand display that i know there’s a delay and it’s already may but hey— is it still okay to tell you happy birthday today ?

he’s  pretty  sure  he’s  in  for  a  relatively  clear  day.  he’s  not  scheduled  for  a  shift  in  records  or  fabric,  a  rare  occurrence  in  and  of  itself.  his  morning’s  mostly  been  occupied  by  a  lie  in,  shared  pancake  breakfast  and  returning  to  his  room  to  consider  poking  at  one  or  two  of  the  half  finished  projects  laying  around.  he  hasn’t  worked  himself  up  to  doing  anything  yet  when  a  familiar  sound  draws  attention;  really  an  assortment  of  them.  he’s  confident  he  hasn’t  forgotten  plans  with  his  best  friend,  even  more  confident  that  if  he  had  forgotten  them  trip  wouldn’t  have  remembered  either.  still,  they’ve  never  required  a  heads  up  before,  and  he’s  on  his  way  out  the  door  without  more  than  a  minute  of  curiosity.

it’s  followed  by  a  quick  upturn  in  amusement,  kc  lingering  a  little  ways  from  the  car.  it  takes  him  until  it’s  been  sung  -  out  to  realize  what  it’s  about,  sparks  laugh  even  if  kc  had  forgotten  that  trip  forgot.  he  waits  until  the  song’s  teetered  out  before  giving  an  impressed  whistle,  rounding  to  the  passenger  side.  he  pulls  the  door  close  behind  him  with  a  snort,  ❛   you  really  need,  like,  a  calendar.   ❜

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲   ,

🎸

who makes your scooch list? marty chuckles at that. who doesn’t should be the question kc asks because that’s a way shorter list. he keeps talking before marty can answer and she’s grateful for the extra time to both think about it and take a few more sips of their drink, one after the other, as if they’re trying to get brain freeze rather than avoid it all together. “i don’t know, like… ninety percent of the people relevant to my life are scooch worthy.” they nudge him again, as if to say he’s on that list. the other ten percent are people marty doesn’t even want to think of ( but does anyway ). “i don’t know if i could live with myself knowing that i basically just… let someone else stay in the freezing ocean for me. love or not.” they shrug. it’s easier for them to think of themself drawing the short straw. “i guess i’ll never really know, though. i don’t plan on gettin’ on any boats, any time soon.” especially after the party. “what about you? who’s on your scooch and, or ‘here, have the door instead’ list?” marty raises her eyebrow in a questioning manner, taking another sip of the blue slushie. “okay, damn, he’s picky with his abandoned places, i see.” she rolls her eyes affectionately, head shaking as they give kc a very dramatic and fake pointed look before their attention is on the fence, looking for their not-so-secret secret entry point. “well,” marty starts, after kc tells them he wishes he brought his paint stuff. marty knows that’s how she would feel if she didn’t have her camera with her, “lucky for you, if this date goes well —” marty gets through the fence “— we can come here as often as you want, so you can bring your paint stuff next time.” they wink at him with a smirk as they hold the fence up so he can come through. “for now, though, you can try out a new art form — i got my camera in my bag. you can use it after i’m done taking pictures of you being mesmerised by this place you’re super not impressed by.”

❛   really  ?   ❜  it’s  not  shock,  just  curiosity.  his  number  would  probably  be  way  lower.  he’s  not  exactly  sure  he  can  count  on  one  hand  who  he  would  smooch  for,  but  it  may  come  close.  he’s  not  against  high  risk  situations  but  the  heightened  chance  of  drowning  in  freezing  cold  water  may  be  one  he  hesitates  on.  there’s  a  lot  of  people  he  likes  in  the  world,  but  the  scooch  list  in  his  head  is  probably  at  about  an  8.  not  to  be  confused  with  the  smooch  list,  which  is  much  longer.  he  shrugs,   ❛   id  scooch  for  way  more  people  than  i’d  give  the  door  to,  but  still,  you’ve  gotta  have  some  self  preservation  when  you’re  in  the  middle  of  the  ocean.  y’know  ?  i  like  every  neighbor  i’ve  ever  met,  but  they’re  totally  going  in  the  water.   ❜  somehow  it  feels  more  rude  to  work  through  a  list  of  names,  even  if  he  would  schooch  for  present  company,  than  he  thinks  shoving  someone  off  the  door  would.  he  follows  through  the  spot  in  fence  marty’s  made  for  him,    offers  a  smile  over  shoulder  before  straightening.   ❛   sounds  good.  next  time  you  and  your  spooky  abandoned  place  can  both  be  my  muses.   ❜

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐥𝐞𝐱   ,

“Alley cats,” Lex nodded, slow, steady, as if that was a real species and she fully believed the words coming up in this conversation. “Zelda. Like the arcade game?” There was a week back home where hanging out in the back of an arcade and eating cheap pizza paired with quick hits on a blunt became her personality du jour. Grifter. Didn’t last very long, but some of the names and characters stuck in her mind. Petting the dog, lips upturned in another smile. “Yeah, mark your words. You’ve said it, so now you have to do it and tell me when that shift is.” Night shifts had a way about them. Miserable and enchantingly mysterious all at the same time. Less chance of seeing her mother too. “Absolutely.” Jennifer would probably hate it. All the better. “But a dog seems too… typical, don’t you think? We could get something that actually makes High Volume interesting.”

❛   like  the  game.   ❜  kc  nods  in  confirmation,   ❛   me  and  jamie  play  it  a  lot.   ❜  there’s  nothing  stopping  him  from  actually  bringing  dex  into  a  shift  except  his  own  memory,  prone  to  allowing  him  to  forget  he  ever  said  he  would  to  begin  with.  he  makes  a  mental  note,  or  at  least  tries,  and  hopes  that  the  surprising  circumstances  leading  up  will  help  keep  it  solid  in  mind.   ❛   unusual  cute  or  unusual  cool  ?   ❜  he  wonders  in  agreement;  who  knows  if  they  could  actually  swing  a  store  pet,  he’s  not  close  enough  with  jennifer  to  know  her  stance  on  any  creature,  but  it’s  a  fun  thought.  a  companion  in  a  tank  or  running  loose  to  keep  everyone  company.    ❛   like,  a  little  goat  or  like  a  python  ?  not  one  of  the  huge  ones,  obviously,  but  i  could  work  with  one  of  the  little  ones.   ❜

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐥𝐞𝐱   ,

“What kind of cat?” As if she knew anything beyond the colors of different cats. Except for knowing about munchkin cats, they looked like little living trolls and she had to admit they were probably her favorites. “Yeah? This is the most nature I’m used to. Well, from the creature side.” Trees, water, mountains, all not too far from Portland. Hearing a deer rushing through the woods was a whole new experience. It was like being in a nature documentary and she wasn’t sure she liked it too much. The silent nod was enough for her to go over and pet Dex’s head. Non-verbal communication, an art. It was something she actually appreciated, and in a weird way, meant that she felt comfortable with someone. Enough to know they wouldn’t misinterpret her or assume that the way she was acting matched the way she was yesterday, because it was never the same. “Everyone, huh? That’s a lot. Do you walk him a lot? You should bring him by the store.” Jennifer would absolutely not love that.

he  blinks  once,  twice  before  shrugging.  ❛   the  kind  you  find  in  an  alley,   ❜  there’s  a  brief  pause  before  he  continues,  though  his  albeit  short  description  isn’t  wrong.  ❛   dark  hair,  kinda  scraggly.  i  think  she’s  probably  some  kinda  tabby  mix.  her  name’s  zelda.   ❜  despite  the  scratches  and  general  aggravation  he  and  jamie  had  endured  upon  her  arrival  and  in  some  of  the  time  following  it  at  their  apartment,  there’s  no  denying  the  existing  fondness  for  her,  opposite  as  the  dog  between  them  as  she  may  be.  he  keeps  a  grip  on  the  leash  in  hand,  allowing  dex  a  little  wiggle  room  without  enough  for  him  to  give  into  what  kc  is  sure  is  a  desire  to  jump  on  his  coworker.  ❛   i’ll  try  and  bring  him  by  next  time  i’ve  got  a  decent  night  shift.   ❜  he  agrees,  it’s  really  by  coincidence  and  not  intention  that  he  hasn’t  before.  ❛   you  ever  think  we  should  have  a  store  pet  ?  i’ve  never  been  in  a  store  with  a  dog  i  didn’t  really  like.   ❜

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲   ,

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: on the way to some abandoned place  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒: closed to @kcmedinas​

they take a sip of the slushie through the straw, eyes on kc as they walk side by side to marty’s choice of hang out spot. “personally, if i was in the middle of freezing waters and i had a big door to float on, i would scootch over for someone i cared about.” they shrug, casually. if anyone asks, marty won’t know how the conversation got to the point of them talking about the titanic movie — but here they are. marty can’t remember the last time she actually hung out at one of the abandoned places around woodstock and there’s an unique sort of relaxation that comes with realising she’s on her way to one, with a slushie in hand and kc’s company walking in tandem with her. after that busy afternoon shift ( which marty had only been able to get through because of him and the impromptu dancing moments when the store found some calm from costumers ) marty needed a break and there’s few people with who she’d rather take that break with. once the place comes into view, marty motions kc to look at it, smirk on their lips. “isn’t it amazing?” they let out an overdramatic dreamy sigh with their head titled, looking at the small, one floor wooden house behind a fence; falling apart yet still so charming in its own scary and creepy way. it could very well be haunted for all they know and, honestly, it does not pale in comparison to any house they’ve seen in horror movies, including those watched with kc.  “bet you’ve never seen somethin’ quite so beautiful, huh.” marty playfully nudges kc.

on  the  tail  end  of  his  second  brain  freeze  for  the  day,  the  price  one  pays  for  deciding  on  the  largest  size  of  slushie  a  reasonable  amount  of  money  can  buy.  tongue  still  red,  he  bops  his  head  side  to  side  for  a  moment  in  thought.  ❛   who  makes  your  scootch  list  ?   ❜  he  asks,  which  is  decidedly  not  the  direction  they’d  been  on  in  the  conversation  a  moment  ago,  but  the  one  he  decides  to  veer  down.  ❛   ‘cause  if  two  people  are  on  the  door,  there’s  a  bigger  chance  it  sinks,  right  ?  like,  maybe  two  people  live  but  if  there’s  just  one  you  definitely  live.  at  what  point  are  you  like,  nah,  i’ll  keep  the  wooden  door  thing,  thanks.   ❜   he  pauses,  without  even  giving  marty  a  chance  to  reply  to  the  first  half.  ❛   and  then,  who  do  you  get  off  the  door  for.  ‘cause  jack  totally  could’ve  dunked  her  over  and  gotten  on,  right  ?  but  he  didn’t,  ‘cause  he  loved  her.   ❜  he  shrugs,  maintaining  pep-in-step  through  a  roundabout  way  of  asking  who  marty  would  let  drown.  they’d  all  let  someone  drown   —  probably.  slush  slurped  through  straw  as  he  admires  the  house,  head  tilted  in  consideration.  it’s  after  a  second  he  glances  over  at  marty,  corner  of  eye  crinkled  with  grin.  ❛   nah,  i’ve  seen  better.   ❜    he  winks  at  her,  gives  her  hair  a  playful  tug  before  redirecting  attention  to  house.  ❛   it’s  cool,  i  wish  i  would’ve  brought  my  paint  stuff.   ❜

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐥𝐞𝐱   ,

Eyes trailed over to the dog, confirming that she hadn’t accidentally struck the animal. It didn’t do anything. It was curious, and Lex understood curiosity. Gaze shifted over to KC, nodding slightly at the confirmation that she did indeed know the footsteps that were coming her way. It wasn’t like she knew anyone well enough in this town to place a plodding pattern with a name. KC. “Didn’t realize you had a dog.” Easy enough conversation starter. It was a fact, but it was non-committal. It could get a one word answer and she could pretend that all of this was a blurry dream. “Yeah? Do you have a wildlife grudge held against you? What - a racoon? those things are practically bandits.” Their faces were cute, but those tiny little hands were pure evil. “It wasn’t intentional.” Fact and truth. Tossing the rock - intentional. Actually hitting something - not so much. “Are you out here to campaign for the squirrels now or what?” Stepping a little closer, hand reached towards the pup. A silent ask to pet it.

❛   i  don’t.  he’s  my  neighbors.  we  have  a  cat,  though.  you  can  come  meet  her  sometime.   ❜  it’s  unexpected,  but  actually  nice  to  have  run  into  someone.  walks  through  the  forest  are  ideal  for  getting  energy  out  of  a  golden  retriever,  but  kc’s  energy’s  always  been  better  spent  with  someone  on  the  receiving  end  of  anything  he  had  to  say.  ❛   no  grudges,  kinda  the  opposite.  we  used  to  get  a  lot  of  wildlife  back  where  my  dad  works.  not  a  lot  of  squirrels  over  there,  though.   ❜  funny  how  the  same  little  creatures  running  all  over  the  place  where  kc  calls  home  can  be  such  a  rarity  in  a  place  he  once  did.  he  offers  a  nod  in  response  to  silent  question,  the  dog  in  question’s  tail  wagging  excitedly  at  the  concept  of  attention.  ❛   go  for  it.  this  is  dex,  he’s  sweet  and  got  more  energy  than  everyone  we  know  combined.   ❜

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐥𝐞𝐱   ,

The forest should have been the part of Woodstock that called to her. It was the most like the Alders and Oaks that surrounded Portland. It was the only place of this town that Lex thought felt alive with the crickets and the birds, and whatever just scurried across her foot. Jerking her shoe backwards, the girl grimaced. “Lovely.” Another reason to hate it here. Yet for every insult she threw at the forest, every glare she tossed to the wind, she found herself wandering through the trees when the world got too much. When things were chaotic. When Jennifer brought her problems home, and she had to remember all the freedom she’d given up to try and be a good daughter. Why had she done that again? It’d been less than half a year and people had already died here. It wasn’t the cool, tip-toeing the line between life and death with a risky decision. No, it was gruesome and not at all romanticized. So she decided to give the quite of the forest a go as a way to stop thinking about how her homesickness was on another level. The pesky squirrel chased back over her feet, and this time, Lex was ready with a rock to toss at it, “Get lost-” The plunk of the pebble hitting the ground sounded a lot harder than it should of, and she flicked her gaze up to realize that it was another person she’d hit. “Not intentional.” @volumeupdates​

the  medina-singh  household  isn’t  a  dog  one,  but  kc’s  decidedly  all  for  being  on  good  terms  with  neighbors.  someone  has  to,  and  he  knows  jamie  well  enough  to  know  it’s  not  quite  as  down  his  alley.  he  likes  a  busy  schedule,  anyway,  and  a  few  walks  for  neighboring  pets  probably  works  out  just  as  well  for  him  as  it  does  their  actual  owners  and  the  dogs  themselves.  the  woods  aren’t  his  usual  haunt,  but  an  open  area  seemed  best  for  his  walk  of  the  day.  it’s  no  right  by  the  water  thing  he’d  have  been  doing  if  this  were  his  home  away  from  home,  one  of  some  things  he  does  prefer  about  his  dad’s  place  over  woodstock,  but  it’ll  do.  he  and  mrs.  green’s  pup  from  across  the  street  are  a  good  midway  through  what  he’s  allotted  the  retriever  when  he  pulls  at  a  long  leash  with  vigor,  kc  clicking  it  into  a  lock  lest  the  dog  get  tangled  in  trees.  it  isn’t  until  he’s  reeled  himself  closer  that  he  sees  what’s  caught  dex’s  attention  in  setting  light,  and  not  a  second  after  a  rock  comes  his  way.  he  snorts,  holding  up  empty  hand  in  mock  surrender.   ❛   maybe  don’t  throw  things  at  the  wildlife,  y’know.  they  hold  grudges.   ❜

[kcmedinas]

WORKING FOR THE MAN   :   TASK 07

what is their favorite shift to work/time of day?

kc  loves  an  evening  shift  !  he  really  thrives  most  when  it  comes  to  customer  interaction  and  loves  actually  getting  to  see  and  talk  to  people  that  come  through,  i  also  think  he’s  so  easily  friendly  and  charming  with  strangers  he  kind  of  unintentionally  does  his  best  here  because  he’s  good  at  selling  albums  just  by  talking  about  them  with  a  hefty  amount  of  enthusiasm,  and  he  always  approaches  things  honestly  but  positively.  this  is  veering  into  more  about  how  he  interacts  with  customers  but  even  things  that  aren’t  his  personal  style  i  think  he’s  good  at  being  like  well  i  don’t  listen  to  it  a  lot  but  my  friend/roommate/coworker/whoever  does  so  there’s  definitely  good  stuff  on  there.  i  think  kc  also  kind  of  embodies  this  like  small  town  familiarity  when  it  comes  to  how  he  interacts  with  people,  like  i  imagine  they  have  regulars  and  kc  can  ask  about  recent  events  in  their  lives  with  relative  ease.  perhaps  this  is  why  his  brain  has  no  room  for  real  substance  <3  anyway,  favorite  shift  is  evening  and  least  favorite  is  morning.

who are your muse’s top 3 favorite people to work with?

trip,  marty,  either  blair  or  nisa.  or  both  i’ll  be  a  cheater  it’s  okay.  easy  peasy  lemon  squeezy  and  also  for  pretty  straightforward  reasons.  kc  genuinely  enjoys  the  job  regardless  but  obviously  trip  is  his  best  friend  so  even  if  they’re  not  as  like  ….  productive  a  pair  you  could  say  as  he  may  be  with  someone  else  if  he’s  scheduled  to  work  with  trip  he  knows  without  a  doubt  he’s  going  to  have  a  really  fun  day,  and  honestly  marty,  blair  and  nis  are  for  very  similar  reasons.  they’re  just  people  he  always  has  a  good  time  with  that  won’t  get  on  him  if  he  makes  a  mistake.  also  all  people  i  think  he’s  most  liable  to  dance  with  to  a  good  song,  is  that  a  factor  ?  probably.

who does your muse not like to work with?

i  know  this  is  kind  of  a  cop  out  but  i  really  do  think  he’s  chill  working  with  anybody.  if  anything  i  will  go  jamie  and  say  he  doesn’t  mind  working  with  him  at  all  either  but  they  see  each  other  all  the  time  at  home  so  he’d  rather  the  time  to  talk  to  people  he  doesn’t  see  that  much.

what is in your muse’s locker?

so  much.  too  much  one  may  say.  more  than  should  reasonably  fit  in  a  locker  so  some  things  are  squished.  he  keeps  a  snack  (probably  a  pack  of  cookies  or  something)  a  pack  of  colorful  bandaids,  a  yoyo,  a  harmonica,  a  book  on  astrology  that  someone  left  at  lost  and  found  at  the  recent  band  thing  and  never  came  back  for,  a  spare  house  key  that  i  hope  is  hidden  in  his  pack  of  bandaids,  a  loop  leash  (his  dad  runs  an  animal  rescue  in  costa  rica  to  the  day  and  his  mom  is  still  involved  in  animal  welfare  for  work,  so  he  got  used  to  having  them  in  case  they  came  across  a  stray  dog  or  something.  he  also  has  loop  leashes  in  the  trunk  of  his  car,  and  blankets  and  stuff,  but  the  locker  is  only  so  big),  a  pair  of  sunglasses,  advil  for  headaches  (he’s  just  like  me),  some  stickers  and  i  think  maybe  that’s  it  ?  i  think  it  all  seems  very  disorganized  and  in  a  way  it  is  but  at  the  same  time  he  does  always  have  a  snack  and  bandaids  in  there  so  you  know  he  is  actually  keeping  up  with  it  there’s  just  no  discernible  rhyme  or  reason  to  what  he’s  deemed  necessary.

how does your muse get to work?

he  drives  !  i  think  he’s  a  carpool  fiend  and  consistently  offers  to  drive  whoever  he’s  sharing  a  shift  with  to  and/or  from  work  if  he  remembers  who  it  is.  he  said  why  would  i  need  peace  and  quiet  ever  ?  you  guys  seem  weird.

finally, list the top 3 albums your muse has on rotation during their shift.

no  exit  by  blondie,  who  do  ya  (love)  by  kc  and  the  sunshine  band,  maybe  making  waves  by  the  nolans  !

[rigginsstreet]

[tastefullyoffensive]

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐦𝐚𝐱   ,

     IT’S  WEIRD  HOW  SHE  CAN  FIND  HERSELF  OUT  HERE,  not  wanting  to  speak  to  anyone  at  all,  and  still  when  kc  arrives  it  feels  as  if  that’s  exactly  who  she  needed  all  along.  max  warms  up  immediately,  he’s  always  had  this  effect  on  her,  and  tense  shoulders  lower  just  slightly.  «  blair  -  bear  would  never  believe  me  capable  of  such  treason,  »  she  assures  him  with  a  smile,  tilting  her  head  up  to  look  at  him.  «  i’m  just  feeling  a  little  seasick,  i  think.  »  sick  is  right,  at  least.  «  how  are  you  doing  ?  you  look  great.  »

❛   got  her  under  your  thumb,  huh  ?   ❜  he  shakes  his  head  in  fake  disapproval,  smile  lingering  all  the  while.  ❛   i  bet  i  can  find  you  a,  uh,  the  thingies   —   you  know  what  i  mean  ?  the  patches  ?   ❜  he  gives  his  own  arm  a  light  smack,  to  further  illustrate  meaning.  motion  sick  patch  probably  isn’t  the  technical  name,  but  there’s  gotta  be  someone  else  on  board  that  brought  one  or  two.  ❛   i  am  great,  thanks  !  you  look  good  too,  love  the  yellow.  it’s  very  you.   ❜

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲   ,

marty’s lips curl into a wide grin. “all the cowboys?” marty repeats, feigning a shocked face, as if taken back by the accusation. “absolutely not, partner. just my favourite ones wearing large belt buckles,” they say in jest as they nudge him with their elbow in tease, eyebrows wiggling in a exaggerated way. as they get twirled, there’s a genuine, easy smile on marty’s lips as she goes along with it, putting in a lot more work in that one single twirl that she does in a whole shift at high volume. they press their lips together into a tight smile, doing a little curtsy by picking up the corners of her oversized flannel and bringing them up as if it’s a dress, followed by a small chuckle. marty playfully shoves him with a barely-there strength. “oh, please. i bet you say that to all the flannel wearing people in here,” they comment, throwing back kc’s own words with a smirk on her lips. “i’m definitely pulling off the green hat, though, i’ll say that much. even if it doesn’t have these little… things,” marty comments, using her index finger to swipe at kc’s hat. “hanging from it. your yellow boots, though… they’re really stealing the show. i think you might have been a cowboy in your previous life, kc.” marty nods, convincing even themself of it by the way they talk. “best dressed one at that.”

❛   absolutely  not,  partner.  just  my  favorites.   ❜  he  mimics  their  own  words  back  just  as  quickly.   things  with  marty  are  always  easy,  but  he  thinks  they’re  more  meant  for  places  like  this  than  behind  the  counter.  marty’s  too  damn  big  for  that  place,  bright  and  bold  and  seamlessly  funny  in  a  way  that  seems  too  large  for  any  one  place  to  contain.  the  open  air  works  best,  though  he’s  sure  this  is  just  one  of  many  themes  they’d  find  a  way  to  fit  right  into.     ❛   i  told  you  it  was  a  good  call,   ❜  not  that  she  wouldn’t  have  looked  good  in  the  pinker  alternative,  too.  he  laughs,  steps  back  just  enough  to  lift  a  boot  in  a  small  kick  without  accidentally  snagging  marty  or  anyone  else  with  the  toe.     ❛   they’re  pretty  sick,  right  ?  i’m  thinking  about  adding  ‘em  to  my  day  to  day  wardrobe,  like,  who  said  western  had  to  go  out  of  style,  y’know  ?   ❜

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐦𝐚𝐱   ,

𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍  𝐅𝐎𝐑:  anyone  <3 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:  if  i  have  to  say  boat  one  more  time  i  s2g  @volumeupdates​

     SHE’S  NEVER  BEEN  SEASICK  BEFORE,  but  then  again  maxine  has  also  never  been  on  a  boat  whilst  simultaneously  trying  to  hold  down  too  much  liquor  and  looking  for  an  escaped  convict.  the  worry  is  choking  her,  and  so  she’s  standing  out  on  deck,  eyes  searching  the  dark  waters  for  nothing  in  particular.  the  cold  air  is  supposed  to  help,  but  if  she’s  breathing  she  can’t  really  feel  it  at  all.  and  to  think  she’d  been  foolish  enough  to  believe  that  the  current  weight  on  her  chest  could  become  a  ghost  soon.  

     she  hears  footsteps  approach,  but  doesn’t  look  up,  mostly  because  she’s  scared  she’ll  throw  up  if  she  does.  «  are  they  still  playing  dolly  parton  in  there  ?  i  love  that  woman,  but  there’s  only  so  many  times  i  can  hear  ‘  jolene  ’  in  one  night.  »

he  doesn’t  mean  to  leave  the  center  at  all,  it’s  more  a  consequence  of  taking  up  more  space  than  what’s  technically  given  to  each  person  on  a  crowded  dance  floor.  self  removed  if  only  to  avoid  knocking  anyone  in  the  face  with  a  stray  elbow,  instead  happening  upon  a  stray  friend.  he  leans  his  head  back  the  way  of  music  a  second,  tsk  and  shake  of  his  head.  ❛   she  finished  up  a  couple  minutes  ago,   ❜   he  leans  back  against  railing,  head  tilted  skyward.  ❛   i  won’t  tell  blair-bear  you’re  currently  stepping  out  on  elvis  for  the  low,  low  price  of  hearing  what’s  on  your  mind.   ❜   he  flashes  max  a  smile,  it’s  hard  to  tell  whether  it’s  the  environment  in  terms  of  people  or  if  it’s  the  water  underneath  them.  max  isn’t  the  first  person  he’s  come  across  tonight  at  the  edge  of  the  boat  looking  a  little  sick  about  it. 

[kcmedinas]

꒰     𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲   ,

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: riverboat casino, probably near the bar 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒: closed to @kcmedinas​

it’s a nice, fun event. there’s loud music ( arguably not really one of marty’s favourite genres but she’ll deal with it in her own way ), there’s food and there’s drink. even with the tense situation associated with the reason why the high volume gang is here, marty has an incomparable ability to simply forget about it, make it so sometimes, all their mind can remember is only what makes them feel less shitty. whether that’s a good thing that makes for a better and more entertaining night or a train wreck waiting to happen… well, i guess they will see. it’s a slippery slope that marty almost goes down until they find find someone in the crowd that instantly makes them smile. “kc, kc, kc,” marty says after they spotted him from across the place, an idea flashing in their brain that was simply too good to ignore. they end up smirking up at him, eyebrow rising. they have nothing good planned ( which is not all that surprising ), approaching kc with mischief written all over their expression and a carefree stance, “you know what they say about a cowboy with a large belt buckle…” marty says, lacing her words with a playful and flirtatious tone, pairing it with an over-the-top wink and shamelessly poking the shiny belt buckle kc is wearing before, inevitably, chuckling at her own words. “you look really good, dude.”

it’s  loud,  the  sort  of  all  around  chaos  that  kc  thrives  on.  the  music,  everyone  laughing  and  dancing  and  talking,  kc  flittering  between  all  of  it.  it’s  easy  to  forget  in  the  midst  of  it  all  the  circumstances  that  led  them  here,  everything  that’s  happened  over  the  course  of  the  last  few  months  falling  into  the  water  as  he  steps  onto  the  boat.  it’ll  inevitably  resurface  when  they  step  off,  but  for  now  there’s  nothing  but  this,  and  this  is  refreshing.  marty’s  a  recognizable  voice  in  what’s  otherwise  mostly  blended  into  a  whole  lot  of  background  noise,  his  head  turning  in  their  direction  and  face  splitting  into  smile.  he  snorts,  ❛   bet  you’ve  been  saying  that  to  all  the  cowboys.   ❜  he  takes  one  of  marty’s  hands,  gives  them  a  little  twirl.  like  the  halloween  party,  it’s  been  fun  to  see  their  coworkers  get  a  little  out  of  their  usual  dress  ups  even  if  not  all  of  marty’s  pieces  are  entirely  new  to  him.  ❛   nah,  i  got  nothing  on  you.  you’re  really  making  western  work  for  you  here.   ❜