MALL RATS +2 !

[mallrcts]

malltms​ + ty !

—— seth didn’t frequent many shops in shrike that he or his girlfriend didn’t currently take residence at as employees, but tracks was one exception. he had a date scheduled and all his vinyls had been ridiculously overplayed — not that his partner was one to complain very often, she seemed to leave that all to him, but he wanted to impress her further by purchasing a new record. something new, yet not entirely out of the genre they’d familiarized themselves with, i.e. soft rock. he wound up meticulously filing through the stacks before selecting a cocteau twins record, the moon and the melodies, holding the sleeve under his arm before he noticed one of the workers behind the counter, an eyebrow perking in the corner of his face curiously.

“if it is, do i get a discount on this?” he inquired cheekily as he held up the record before placing it flat on the counter so it could be purchased.

it was a good jest, one that set ty a little more at ease as he returned to his feet and not without the merchandise in question. these instances never seemed to grow easier, when a customer has witnessed an employee acting strangely, lest of all giving themselves a five-finger discount. allegedly. “ah, wish that were the case,” and he distended the paper in order to reach in a hand and hold up an edge that certainly couldn’t be playable on any record. “this one’s free for the taking, on account of it technically being trash by the higher powers. which, i guess, is hard to prove if they aren’t around currently but...” the case of the missing owner was a little displacing to discuss.

with an inhale and a new smile in place, the record store employee slid aside the refuse and instead tapped a finger on the other’s whole item. “cool! i’ve only heard a couple songs when we played it on the day they arrived. very trippy, feels like i should be sitting at a beach in the afternoon somewhere.” chuckling more to himself than anything, he rang up the price from the sticker. “you listen to this kind of stuff often?”

[mallrcts]

rxttleheads​ + ty !

A mischievous little grin spread across Jamison’s face as he leaned his shoulder up against the shelf, his friend caught red-handed shoving bits of a broken vinyl into his bag. He knew well enough that no one would’ve been able to sell the thing anyway, that Ty wasn’t causing any genuine trouble, but he couldn’t help but to tease them just a little anyway. “For shame,” he chided, shaking his head in mock reprimand at the other. “Gonna have to get mall security after you for that.” He couldn’t stop the snicker from breaking through, though, a hand coming up to cover his laugh, facade dropping as he knelt next to the other to get a better look at which vinyl it was that got all busted up. “What’re you gonna be doing with that, anyhow?”

❝

despite noticing there was bound to be someone there, ty still startled a little at seeing his friend leaning casually as though he had been there all along. in the same breath, their smile turned a little more casual, a little less forced should it have been a random customer. “please, no! i’ve done nothing wrong, sir, i swear!” ty pleaded in a playfully lilted voice, then felt the need to give a little shake of the head for his awkward performance. it was within his repertoire to joke but it never seemed to come across as charming as others.

now, his hand brought back the sleeve of pieces before he could deposit it entirely, juggling it a bit to settle it all back inside before he cleared his throat. “it’s no big deal, in all seriousness. a while back, when i still had the chance to ask permission, i wanted to start taking home some of the broken records to use in my art! it was better than just throwing them out, and i could see them coming together in my mind’s eye. back at my place, i have a small collection going, and i rearrange the pieces when i get new ones to create a bigger picture. one day, i’ll get an image i like and then maybe i can think about sealing it into a final form. sounds like a lot of pressure, though.” looking to the shaggy hair and jovial presence of jamie, “what’s up? did you need help looking for anything, or were you going to save me from accidentally working through the end of my shift again?”

[mallrcts]

urdamage​ + ty !

               akito frequented tracks , as did most of shrike heights , he was sure . music was an important part of life , it could help people through anything , and and with all of the hardships that the residents of shrike heights were going through , they certainly needed that . it only made sense for the residents of the town under attack to spend their hard earned cash on music that they could play themselves , rather than having to rely on the radio that was another constant reminder of all they had been through ; akito was fond of shrike radio’s hosts , but they weren’t afraid to speak of the tragedies that went on in town , and akito was especially sensitive to the topic . 

so there he was , thumbing through a selection of discounted vinyls , only to be interrupted as ty caught his eye and certainly did appear to be pocketing something for himself . “ you sure ? ” akito asked , an awkward laugh sounding after his words . he had a habit for witnessing things he shouldn’t , so it didn’t take him by surprise at all to assume that it had happened again . “ i’ll forgive sticky fingers easier than i’ll forgive you lying to me . ” he joked lightly , trying to gently press for more of an explanation . with the owner of tracks missing after their encounter with a selection of the shrike killers , there was even more evidence pointing towards the reason why an employee might take advantage of the lack of supervision , and akito was terribly interested in the case . 

at the very least, it was nice to know there were concerned shrike heights citizens who also wouldn’t fly off the handle at a potential incident arising. though he knew it wasn’t the case, he could forgive someone’s interference if they believed there was some sort of wrong-doing at hand, especially without an overseer for the employees managing a worst case scenario. still, there was a rosy tint to the boy’s cheeks as he changed course and instead stood  ( relatively )  tall with the broken album in sleeve.

“that’s admirable,” ty responded by way of the principle. accountability vs. trickery. there was a slight chuckle, perhaps realizing how ridiculous it appeared and the explanation he was about to lay out, quite literally. “suppose it does look shifty, clearly putting a vinyl in my bag. but i did make a deal  —  some time ago. sure, we could spend a lil’ cash, repair the odd record here and there. but more break than you’d think,” and he proceeded to carefully card out the pieces on the glasstop. they namely consisted of large pieces, sharp edges. “and it just wouldn’t be economic for the store. the other option is to throw ‘em all out! but i started thinking i could use them, recycle them. for art!” and as he came to the conclusion of his testimony, his hands had seemingly played with the debris until abruptly it was somewhat of a collage. it was abstract, but if one looked hard enough, using some of the imagination ty put into his spontaneous creations, they could perhaps see a figure; back bowed, holding up a haphazard sword, accented by the artwork that had once been whole in the centre. “it’s silly, but i like collecting the broken records when i can and compiling them at home in a bigger collage.”

[mallrcts]

ofeunjaeisms​ + sadie !

It was one of those days where he was just moving on auto-pilot, dragging himself from one place to the other, while making sure to dump several cups of black coffee into his tired body. To most people - from afar - he most likely still seemed like the same person; approachable, smiling, dressed in his signature bright and pastel colors, with his pink hair to complete the soft look. However, from a shorter distance, the dark circles were visible, as well as the slumped shoulders and the tremble in his hands. His vacant eyes weren’t focused on anything in particular, his smile dazed and slightly off.

Eun Jae had lost count of how often he’d gone back to get more coffee, hardly aware of what time or what day it was, as he had pulled another accidental all-nighter - half because he was busy studying and half because he had simply been unable to sleep. Insomnia was really kicking his butt lately.

So naturally, being more of a ghost than a person, he wasn’t too aware of what was going on around him. Before he could react to anything, something bumped into his thin shoulder, instantly making him lose his small amount of balance. A sharp pain shot through his wrist as he tried to catch his fall to the cold, hard floor, making him instinctively cradle his arm against his chest as involuntary tears brought his eyes back to life.

“Crap,” He blurted out, too occupied with his aching body to care about cussing. He looked up at the person he’d bumped into, his eyes wide as he mentally told himself not to cry. “It’s okay, I wasn’t-” His bottom lip started to wobble as he was dangerously close to tears. “Hurts,” The word came out whinier than he had meant it to and a blush of pure embarrassment crept up his cheeks. Jae really wanted to get back up and act like everything was fine, as the last thing he wanted was to seem weak or helpless, but he definitely did not have the energy or physical strength to push himself back up onto his feet. “I’m okay…” Right, as if that was convincing.

it seemed sadie had rolled with the punch  —  or fall, rather. it didn’t appear as much for her counterpart, however. registering past their words that they had inadvertently injured the person they had run into, the jovial smile dropped away into an expression of concern that was more commonplace when she had been younger and looking after their sibling. it was reflex, and though she had no connection at present, that didn’t stop her from reverting to that affectionate role.

“i’m so sorry! may i see?” placing a knee on the rough deck of her skateboard so it wouldn’t roll away unaware, she leaned forward with hands hovering over the coddled wrist. “i’ve busted myself up quite a bit over the years, i can check to see if we need to run by the hospital. or—!” and despite his wobbly affirmation, sadie still turned for the small backpack between her shoulder blades. it was just like them to be carrying a video game character’s worth of inventory. the rollerskates and skateboard was because they couldn’t decide which they wanted more, so they took both; and the backpack was, of course, to hold everything else. including the roll of gauze she fished out.

“i hope you’ll humour me and let me patch you up over some breakfast! if bracing your wrist and getting some grub doesn’t make you feel better within an hour, i’ll grab us a cab to get it checked out by someone who’s medical experience isn’t limited to personal, self-inflicted bumps and scrapes.” beneath the smile she offered, there was a genuine bruise of guilt currently with a thumb pressed to it. beating herself up being a general active mess was one thing, but getting someone tangled up in that was beyond her ability to blithely brush off.

[mallrcts]

rxttleheads​ + sadie !

To say that Jamison was functioning on a level not much higher than a zombie wouldn’t be amiss; he’d pulled a late night with his bandmates after practice the night prior and he was ashamed to admit that he was fully reduced to a shambling, sleepy mess, the dark circles under his eyes a testament to an eventful evening. His mind was wandering, thinking that he ought to at least stop by the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face before he went into work, but he was jolted into a state more resembling consciousness when he felt himself collide with something – or, rather, someone. 

“Ah, shit –!”

He stepped back, apologizing quickly, and offered her a hand to help her up. He gave the girl a sheepish sort of smile as she got to her feet, skateboard in hand. “Sorry about that, man. I’m fine, no worries at all! But I’m thinking we both need to grab some coffee before we get wherever we’re goin’. You alright? Early mornings are a mess.”

❝

hand outstretched, sadie was none too shy to accept it, though the way she bounded back to her feet didn’t seem like she needed the help. “nah, don’t apologize! i was not looking where i was going, walkin’ too fast.” rollerskate bag secured over her shoulder and battered skateboard hefted into her arm, a wide smile split across their features. “coffee sounds great! i’m parched from ridin’ here, didn’t bring anything to drink with me. could probably grab some breakfast too, but i totally call covering that. my treat for my bad.”

with a nod of the head in the direction of the food court they assumed their destination lied in, they brought their hand back up to pat at the shoulder they collided with, as if there was any dusting off that needed be done. physical touch was definitely a language sadie spoke most fluently, regardless of who was on the receiving end it and whether the interaction called for it. “you’re solid, i ricocheted right off ya. you ever play soccer? i feel like you’d be good at staying on your feet. i mean, i normally could but maybe it’s like you said:  early mornings.”

[mallrcts]

malltms​ + ty !

—— it was most often reina encountered early birds who were elderly, so it surprised her to find someone relatively young with such spirit in the morning where plenty in their age group would be akin to zombies. perhaps that was only something particular to shrike teenagers, as she was always accustomed to early days on the commune. “it’s no problem. i can check for you,” she said with a warm smile as she scooted up from where she was sat at the sewing machine, adjusting her homely cardigan and skirting around so she could see if the socks had been done the night before.

woolen. multicolored. reina checked the correctly marked bin, shuffled through a couple packages full of socks that were good as new, before her eyes caught on a pair that matched the description the young man had given her and she scooped them up. “are these it?” she asked, sliding them across the counter politely. “i like them. your grandma has fine handwork.” 

“thanks!” ty called as she went about retrieving them. in the meantime, they went about pulling out their leather wallet, dulled around the edges with a little l.b. engraved barely notable at the bottom corner. a hand-me-down from his father. from within, ty went about counting out some bills as payment, as well as unfolding a scrap piece of notebook paper with his list for the day, reminders and a bit of a schedule so nothing fell through the cracks.

then, the socks, pinned together so they wouldn’t become lost with a little tag with his name. supposed he could have just given his name from the start, but the smile that returned affirmed that they were his anyway. the holes that had begun to form from thinning fabric at the heels had been reinforced with matching colours, and he happily scooted them closer without simply stuffing them into his backpack. “they look awesome! hope it wasn’t too difficult  —  did you work on ‘em?” neatly stacking the bills, ty slid them over as he said, “i really appreciate it. my grandma hasn’t been as active these years so i won’t likely get more socks, wanna hold onto the ones that i got.”

[mallrcts]

ofsyzygies​ + sadie !

when she lifted her gaze, her eyes brightened with recognition. “hi!” she greeted, a little more enthusiastic at the sight of a familiar face, her shoulders sagging slightly. “it’s - it’s going… kind of badly. i - look,” she paused to reach for the now broken device she had stuffed into her pocket. it was red and to most people it just looked like a random piece of junk, probably. handheld gaming was still a very obscure concept, the bandai lcd solarpower really being the first of its kind. 

its rarity and newness wasn’t the main reason for her dismay, however. she was pretty confident she simply could not replace it here. not only had it been bought for her as her very first gift from her previously estranged father, but he had bought it in japan, which wasn’t exactly a bike ride away from shrike heights. the other issue was that she was thoroughly addicted to it. after all, being able to game whenever and wherever she wanted was freaking amazing. it was crazy to think that this could be the future, one day. 

“it’s broken,” she supplied dumbly. it was clear as day that it was broken; she probably didn’t have to tell sadie that. after all, the lcd screen was clearly cracked and the connecting parts were as well. “i like, fell over here - i mean, i was about to trip over some stuff,” she lied, not wanting to reveal that she fell for literally no reason. “and didn’t wanna break anything so i changed the trajectory of my fall and i - well it broke.” the pout on her lips was very prominent by now. “it might seem stupid but i - i really, i’m really gonna miss it,” she mumbled despondently. “anyway - don’t worry about it,” she said, trying to brush it off. “did you come in here looking for something? i can help you.”

at the sight of the device, cracked and piecing apart in aki’s hands, sadie gave a gasp equal parts dismayed at the state and awed at the unfamiliar console. the whole reason that they were even here was for their nintendo entertainment system, a prize possession that large portions of their paycheques often went to with nary a regret for wanting anything else  ( they could go for some new shoes, worn and torn from entire days spent skateboarding, or some new hair dye to reanimate the pink fading from their hair ).

“oh, shoot!” said sadie, leaning forearms on the counter to get a better look, toeing the ground in an inaudible beat. “that blows, dude. i haven’t even seen anything like that around here, is it new? you could maybe find a defunct product of the same kind, scavenge those pieces to repair this one! if not, superglue is super good.” there was light giggle at the weak pun. “i could help! i know you gotta work, i could hide back there and try to fix it  —  you givin’ me instructions whenever there aren’t customers, y’know.”

at the question, sadie had to take a second to scroll through the log in her brain to remember what exactly she had been here for in the first place, head cocking to the side before shooting upright with a, “oh! oh, yeah. i need a new controller for my nes. real bad, too. haven’t stopped thinking about the legend of zelda but i tripped over the controller cord and it messed up the connector when it got yanked outta the port. oops.”

[mallrcts]

outside sunrise drive in and theatre at night @lextvlionis​​ + sadie !

even when sadie had managed to budget enough spending money to luxuriate with a joint and a movie, if they could swing a freebie on one or the other... they would. and they had just the friend to help with that, if only they would show up sooner rather than later. the current flick was due to start soon and the longer sadie lingered along the perimeter of the outdoor section of the theatre, the more suspicious they would seem, even with the adorable aura she attempted to exude to deter any peering eyes. worst case scenario, if they couldn’t get the spare ticket, she was daring enough to sneak in herself.

a couple more beats and then, a slim figure slinking toward them. grinning, double-checking that her pot was secure alongside her foot inside the sock  ( there would be the least amount of creasing than if it had been in the pocket or bra ),  faint-pink locks falling forward over their features as she spoke, “heya, busy night? don’t happen to have a ticket after all? i can totally sneak in somewhere else! i think i heard there was a part of the fence some other kids cut back—”

[mallrcts]

tracks @shrikestart​ + ty  ▷  cap: 4/4 !

a bluesy-rock tune gave backdrop to ty’s categorizing of vinyl records. there really wasn’t a genre he didn’t mind, and though he hadn’t heard this particular track, he found his head bobbing along with that little wayward lock of curly hair bouncing on his forehead over his glasses. it was the details that made this job so suitable while he tried to simultaneously sort his own life out  —  thoughts of his couple college classes occupying his attention while absently sifting through sleeves. then, blinking, a smile spreading in juxtaposition to the discovery of cracked pieces of an album. standing, abandoning the cardboard box they had been sorting, ty returned to behind the cash counter, kneeling to grab his backpack and unzipping to start dumping the refuse inside. in the process, a presence pinged in the corner of his periphery, sitting back on his haunches to see a figure observing what could possibly be an employee stealing.

“this isn’t what it looks like,” ty said, good-naturedly, smile still in place.

[mallrcts]

outside fast times in the morning @shrikestart​ + sadie  ▷  cap: 4/4 !

there was nothing quite like the mall in the mornings. the promise of a fresh start, their encapsulated world teeming with all flavours of life, endless possibilities of interesting interactions. all this, and it still didn’t make quite sense why sadie wasn’t a morning person. never grumpy, it just appeared that their body needed the extra rest when their mind was rearing to go. it was for this reason that, as they juggled their skateboard by the trucks on their forearm and fought to stuff their bubblegum pink roller skates into the lovingly-worn matching duffel bag, their mind knew they were in the trajectory to knock into someone but their body just couldn’t adjust course.

the bump of shoulders was enough to trip up untied laces and have the nearly-blonde girl awkwardly falling to the tile  ( in a rather practiced manner, for one as accustomed to failing to land tricks ).  “oh my god,” came out with a laugh, snatching her skateboard before it could roll away, looking up to who they had accidentally run into. “dude, so sorry! i’m a klutz, that was totally my bad. are you okay? legit was just trying to make it to work in time, but being a bit late isn’t worth hurting you!”

[aubrey-plaza]

RECORD STORES IN FILMS Rock of Ages (2012) Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010) Pretty in Pink (1986) 500 Days of Summer (2009) Cloud Atlas (2012) High Fidelity (2000) Empire Records (1995) A Clockwork Orange  (1971) Hearts Beat Loud (2018) Before Sunrise (1995)

[mallrcts]

malltms​ + ty !

𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: stitch by stitch 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨: everyone! @shrikestart​​  

—— getting a late start to the morning, reina didn’t clock in until the minute before she was due for her shift. she was breathless by the time she made it to the cardigan she had been working on the night before. there was a sizeable hole in the elbow, the thick fabric making it more difficult than what a beginner could reasonably tackle with a sewing machine. she didn’t even look up from where her hands were expertly darning the worn thread until hearing a bell chime, signaling someone had entered. “oh — so sorry, this thing is a real hassle,” she said, voice soft as she hadn’t quite woken up fully yet. “is there anything i can help with?” 

❝

most instances ty got on his trusty schwinn hollywood bike, it was a source of tranquility for sure, but it also loosened up all the joints in a body that seemed so full of crooked bones. while it was only his spine that suffered this malady, and mildly he would be grateful to add, one misalignment sets off a ripple effect. by the time the bespectacled boy parked and locked up outside the mall at one of the bicycle racks, it felt like a pinch had settled in his left shoulder. and as he tread along, shifting the messenger bag on his right shoulder  ( it was at this point that he was often reminded of which way his scoliosis subtly favoured, left shoulder sunken by an inch or so ),  he was rolling his pained socket by the time he was stepping across the stitch by stitch threshold.

“good morning!” there was still the polite, kindhearted greeting despite his miniscule grievance. “take your time! don’t mean to disturb you. i don’t suppose you’d know if my socks are finished? i think i dropped them off sometime last week and haven’t had much of a chance to pick ‘em up! uh, they’re woolen, multi-coloured. my grandma knitted them!”

[mallrcts]

ofsyzygies​ + sadie !

location: shrike entertainment superstore open to: everyone

@shrikestart

"oh, no, no, no, no, no, NO," the girl exclaimed, clearly distressed where she was, crouched on the floor in the corner closest to the video games section of shrike entertainment superstore. where she was supposed to be focusing on work, by the way. but, how could she focus when disaster had struck just seconds before. yoshikawa aki was no stranger to loss. in fact, ever since she arose from her coma just over a year ago, it felt like she had just been losing constantly. and, as hard as it was, she had made her peace with that. after all, that was life. for every loss, there was also some gain. she lost her childhood home, but gained a parent and an opportunity to travel somewhere new. she'd lost her memories, but she'd gained a blank slate. but this - this was simply too much. clutched in her hands, her knuckles pale from how hard she was holding on to it, was what was left of her bandai lcd solarpower, which had fallen to its untimely demise just moments earlier. she was torn out of her miserable thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps and, remembering she was on shift, she quickly shoved her machine back into her back pocket and stood back up. "hi!" she chirped, swallowing back a sniffle. "can i help you with anything?"

❝

the lightbulbs buzzing overhead, the bright colours popping out from every aisle, the sheer size of the superstore  ( it really was super, wasn’t it?),  ensured no chance that sadie would find her way. the discman blaring madonna certainly didn’t make matters easier, and while the sensory overload and foreboding predicament of becoming lost in the labirynth would incense others, there was a lopsided grin upon full lips and a skip to their step, sneakers squeaking unheard. still, rationale climbed the rungs of the priority ladder, letting her know that she could easily lose track of time and task. love-worn headphones slipped off to hang around sadie’s neck instead, faded pink hair tucked under like it were a collar. as she decided she should probably find someone who could help her for what she sought, there was a clatter and a panicked voice rising. very few things made their expression drop, but shrike heights wasn’t the most safe place in the world right now, and darn it if it wasn’t the first thing that came to their mind.

following the direction they thought they heard the person  — and honestly, should she be walking toward the fire, so to speak? —  they caught a familiar face, smile returning to sadie’s face when she realized there was no danger, the fear turning to dust as if it hadn’t been a product of anything substantial. “oh hey, aki, right? what’s up, how’s it goin’?” having spotted the retreating hand that had put away the source of the noise, “you okay, something happen?”

[mallrcts]

hey look,

― it’s sadie kang! they’re twenty five years old, they’ve lived in shrike heights for their whole life, and they’re currently working at fast times. i heard they’re pretty distracted, but i think they’re so dependable at the same time. can they make it out alive?  ( park chaeyoung, bisexual, non-binary + they/she )

▷ BIO + STATS !  ▷ PINTEREST !

[mallrcts]

hey look,

― it’s ty baker! they’re twenty three years old, they’ve lived in shrike heights for five years, and they’re currently working at tracks. i heard they’re pretty timid, but i think they’re so cheerful at the same time. can they make it out alive?  ( alex fitzalan, queer, demi-man + he/they )

▷ BIO + STATS ! ▷ PINTEREST !