the fool: do you have any nicknames?
the magician: have you ever written a poem or song about somebody else?
the high priestess: what is your dream date?
the empress: do you think you will ever get married?
the emperor: what are some names that you like?
the hierophant: do you believe in ghosts?
the lovers: do you have a crush?
the chariot: thoughts on astrology?
strength: what is your dream occupation?
the hermit: what is your favorite soda pop?
wheel of fortune: first three songs that come on shuffle?
justice: favorite color of rose?
the hanged man: favorite movie soundtrack?
death: what are three things you want to do before you die?
temperance: can you describe a strange dream you’ve had?
the devil: do you enjoy thunderstorms?
the tower: favorite colors to wear?
the star: have you ever seen a psychic?
the moon: have you ever written a love letter?
the sun: do you believe in magic?
judgement: do you enjoy school?
the world: do you like waking up early?
Lucy placed a hand over her heary, mock offended by his tone, but small smile soon tugged at her lips. She hated when someone interrupted her listening, but at least he had the decency to stop and not ignore her. “Good taste,” she said. “I was asking what movie you think I should go to,” she said, motioning towards the showings board.
"OH , UH .." he said shyly , taking out the other headphone and began mindlessly wrapping them around his fingers , "thank you." a shy smile. xan studied the board along with her for a moment , though the options were almost always the same. "i'm guessing you're sick of ferris , otherwise i doubt you'd be asking for advice ... what about bill and ted?"
Dingle was quaint, that was how Silas had heard it nicely put by those who passed through on their vacations, and road trips. It was particularly the kind of town anyone seemed to set out to visit, rather just a passing stop on a larger itinerary. And Silas could tell you exactly why that was, because there was nothing to do in a town like this. Once you’ve seen Larry staring at you while you pass on the street one too many times, and been to Breeze Block with wine hidden in a cola cup a few nights already that week, there was nothing left that had appeal.
It’s possibly why he frequently found himself visiting his friends when they were supposed to be working, or perhaps that was just because Silas was usually quick to grow bored of his own company.
“Not after Ernie today.” The bell ringing familiarity as he enters the store, and easily makes his way up to the counter. “Figured it’d be as dull in here today as it is out there. Thought you could use the company.”
。・ * ✧ ❛ WELL YOU THOUGHT correctly , ❜ xan replied , not bothering to hide their excitement . they thought of answering with something more sarcastic and snarky , but something about silas almost never let them . besides , silas was right .. things were a bit dull today . ❛ i’m flattered someone came to visit me instead of ernie for once , ❜ he chuckled softly , picking up his work to show his friend . ❛ wanna help me draw this one ? ❜
。・ * ✧ ECHO RECORD CO. , having such a large collection of records , not so surprisingly , had many without proper sleeves . xan , during lulls in his shifts , often took it upon himself to move them to blank sleeves to prevent scratching and to protect from all the extra dust from where the miscellaneous pile was stacked in the corner . but xan couldn't leave them blank , boring and unmarked -- not when his boredom was still just as unresolved , and not with his tendency to doodle upon every surface anyways . the countertop and cash registers got a break from the relentlessness of xan's mindless sharpie scribbles on days like this .. the scribbling shifting from the already marked - up counter to a fresh paper sleeve and from absentminded , cartoonish depictions of cowboys and lizards to much more thought - out images of whatever best fit the genre and album , matched with careful handwriting .
the words JESSIE'S GIRL - RICK SPRINGFIELD / $8 now graced the new cover of the small 45 as xan sat and pondered what images to add alongside the lettering . the bell signaling a new customer pulled him out of his deep thoughts .. making him sit up and accidentally drop the pen on the ground . ❛ hey , welcome to echo .. if you’re lookin’ for ernie , he’s not in right now . ❜
A thin white trail of smoke leaked from the hood of an old Toyota Hiace.
Always have a bottle of water in the car. Words he heard a thousand times but only regretted today.
Knowing there was nothing to be done but wait Louis sat on the curb of a street he barely recognized. Pulling out his phone he began to search through his contacts, maybe they’re still nearby. Louis dialed. “Hey, sorry to ask but are you still around? I could really use a hand.”
。・ * ✧ ❛ LOUIS ! WHAT’S GOOD ? ❜ xan answered , tone shifting dramatically as he listened to his friend speak . ❛ oh .. uhhhh , where are you , bro ? i’m on foot .. er .. skateboard today but i can -- ❜ he cut himself off , spotting a familiar figure across the . street and waving dramatically with his whole arm . ❛ hey , hey .. uhh .. wave back if that’s you ! ❜
it’s quiet; only a few people skittering between the rows of records. the music, consistently blasting off of the walls to create an intimate sort of setting, soundly vibrating through the space. she’s sure someone’s put on their own little remix; the differentiating sounds a funny collaboration between something funky and pop, but with the store practically empty, it doesn’t matter much. Her fingers skim along the edge of casings, hovering every once in a while to determine its place. she’s barely aware of a silhouette stalking towards her until she turns around, her hair sweeping slightly along with the movement. “oh uh, welcome at echo records. how can i help you?”
。・ * ✧ ❛ I’M NOT a customer , scarlett .. no need to be so formal , ❜ he joked with a smile . ❛ but you can help me with something , i hope .. d’you know where ernie put all the pens ? the good ones .. unless you moved them ? ❜ xan had a tendency to use them to doodle on the walls , but this time he needed them to help mark boxes while doing inventory . ❛ and while i’m at it .. do you know who put this music on ? ❜
Although there wasn’t exactly a vast selection, Lucy always spent a long time deliberating over which film she was going to see. She had been standing staring at the board for a good few minutes now, arms crossed over her chest. She frequented Trio at least three times a week, if she had the time off work. Regardless of the time of day she always felt better after watching something on the big screen.
“Pick a number between one and three and I’ll go see that one,” she decided, looking at the person that had just walked past.
。・ * ✧ XAN HAD JUST clocked out , made clear by the music blaring from his headphones , the skateboard held close to his side and the pace at which he headed for the door . he caught sight of lucy and almost continued to walk past , until he thought he saw her say something -- so , despite his better judgement , stopped to talk . ❛ what ? ❜ xan asked , his tone probably harsher than he’d intended , as he pulled out just one earbud and held it up as if to explain . ❛ couldn’t hear you over the cranberries .. you need something ? ❜
hands clasped together as if their unity would somehow grant reyna her wish, she pouted. “i swear you don’t even have to join.” the begging raised her voice a slight octave. “just come with me to the skate park. i need a cheerleader.” she scoffed in jest. rey was not one to be afraid of failing, but she was a social creature and having someone next to her when she learned a new skill was appealing.
。・ * ✧ ❛ UMMMMMM , ❜ xan hummed as he pondered her plea . they wanted to give in , since they’d probably head over there at some point today anyways , but on the other hand , xan typically preferred to be alone when skating and , on a third hand , wasn’t great at saying no to people . ❛ right now ? ❜ is what he’d settled on . ❛ i got work in , like , an hour or something .. ❜ his voice quiet and trailing off .
“You know, sometimes I think dating a magician would be so cool, because he can just make money appear from right under my nose or whatever. But then I remember the one time I did go on a date with a magician and then I got stuck with the bill while he did one of those disappearing acts.”
“Anyways, what were we talking about? I’m sorry, that date is still so fresh in my mind…”
。・ * ✧ IT WASN’T OFTEN xan could be spotted hanging out with charley , though when he did , it was a guarantee he would only respond negatively to whatever she had to say , whether or not he really meant it . ❛ a magician ? ❜ he asked , tone laced with a mixture of shock and disgust . ❛ really ? a magician ? ❜ he repeated after taking a drink from the cup of coffee he’d let sit for a little too long .. though if anyone were to point that out , he’d simply insist he preferred it this way . ❛ not like .. a musician ? that’s supposed to be bad enough , but magic ? that shit is corny and fake . i honestly don’t even remember what i was saying anymore , dude . ❜
for someone as notoriously lazy as he is, clark certainly does not make proper use of his work breaks.
today, he is on a special streak of idiocy, fueled by two strawberry milkshakes and a joint he’d hastily smoked in the back alley. rosie’s is especially dead — it’s usually pretty barren after the lunch rush, but today the diner is inhabited only by their regular, gary (who literally never leaves his sad, sad perch at the counter), and a few assorted stragglers who clearly just want him to have more dishes to deal with when he gets back to work. fucking cruel.
however, the most essential factor here is that rosie is out running an errand. and when the rosie is away, the idiot comes out to play.
so of course, as anyone logically would, clark deems this the perfect time to hop up on the empty stage tucked in the back corner, and add another number to what he has lovingly dubbed the rat spectacular. and this is unarguably his finest show to date: a completely acapella croon of “what’s new pussycat,” delivered to (a now sleeping) gary, and the scattered group of patrons who either look bewildered or actively upset. he gives it his all, of course — off-tune vocals, intricate and sensual dance moves, and the unhinged energy of a man who only got four hours of sleep and is running purely on sugar and weed.
after he finishes his performance, he dips into a hearty bow, before stepping off stage to greet his throes of admirers (that being, the singular person who is closest to the stage).
“y’know, i think i got a future in show biz,” he says, sporting an especially shitty grin and a face slightly dampened by the extreme fervor of his dance moves. “never even took a dance class, if you can believe it. i know my moves are top tier shit.”
。・ * ✧ XAN’S FRIENDSHIP WITH CLARK was , for the most part , a secret . by xan’s logic , that secret was kept safe , since anyone who would care about the secret is likely aware of how infrequently xan visited the diner . by anyone else’s logic , this was risky and his cover would probably be easily blown if spotted here . if that thought ever crossed xan’s mind , they never let it stay for long or stop them from their small visits with clark . ❛ don’t you have a present in one ? ❜ xan replied , having walked in the diner just in time to catch the last half of today’s impromptu performance and waiting off to the side . ❛ guess you’re just a natural , ❜ they said , going along with it . ❛ but in other news .. you got a cassette player ? ❜
hellooo ! i'm veronica / roni ( she/her ) , i'm twenty and im from california ( pst ) ! my hobbies are making dumb earrings .. having jam sessions w myself .. pretending i know how to skate & this week .. watching rick & morty and tiktoks . i’m gonna start my second year of community college in a few weeks and i’m excited but also scared but also sad ?? idk but .. enough abt me , here’s xan !
FULL NAME : nestor alexander pruitt
NICKNAMES : nes , alexander , xander , alex , xan
AGE : twenty two
GENDER : demiboy ( he/they )
ORIENTARION : pansexual
BAND + POSITION : leech fragment , bass & dirty vocals
OCCUPATION : echo record co & trio movie theatre employee
+ TRAITS : affable .. observant .. buoyant .. responsible
- TRAITS : airheaded .. disorganized .. taciturn
FACECLAIM : ryder mclaughin
the sound of a skateboard landing on the ground .. loud laughter in the middle of the night .. sneaking out of a window to meet friends .. eating cereal at three in the morning .. listening to music in your car at one in the morning .. holding on to objects tied to memories and a sad song played in the major key.
nestor alexander pruitt was born and raised in california , if you can call living there until you were twelve "raised"
nestor alexander pruitt goes by his middle name and shortens that still .. almost no one knows his real name now
he decided to go by xander and xan upon moving to dingle in middle school , a chance to reinvent himself completely
not that back home in santa cruz hed ever really gone by nestor , not since the third grade when , again , he'd taken moving to the upper part of the school ( 4th grade through 6th ) as an opportunity to reinvent himself
the name nestor was picked by his mother , who'd had an affinity for greek mythology and greek history and even made a career of working in museums as a curator and sometimes writing and translating stories and texts
alexander was chosen by his dad who'd had his old band member and best friend in mind , but xan's mom secretly loved how it was another historical name in many ways
the move to dingle was .. interesting
xan's parents had split .. a big fight he still doesn't understand .. his mom moving across the world for her career .. his dad moving xan and his little sister to his hometown -- dingle
like his father , xan loves music
and , like his father when he was young , started a band with his friends in dingle
xan's dad always likes to tell people about how they were famous in the 80s, when really , they had one or two slightly popular songs
but again , like his father , xan hopes to make it big some day except .. you know .. bigger
outside of music , xan loves to skateboard and loves to make art
skateboarding is something else he takes after his dad and his dad owned and operated a small skate shop back home
( and if it's cool to say so , probably opened a new store in dingle .. otherwise .. he probably has a friend or brother who runs one a few towns over where he helps out sometimes )
draws on his instruments and on his decks for ~ customization ~
he also rly likes to film things like .. he'll film mv's for the band or even just them hanging out .. probably runs social media for the group
plays a ton of instruments and probably got stuck w whatever he does in the band bc they either no one else can play it or they flipped a coin or something
has pet reptiles .. idk what yet but yeah
works at echo & trio because theyre the three things he loves most .. music , movies & weed ... pretends working at both counts as an internship so he wont have to take more than one or two classes a semester
often spotted at breeze block at the arcade or snackbar
idk if i said it but .. paints his nails and has a pet lizard probably
( also if it’s cool to say again .. i feel like xan’s dad would be friends w mister mark russo like they probably have jammed b4 )
WANTED CONNECTIONS ...
im so bad at these so here’s just a few ideas
platonic
best friend !
friends???
smoking friends
skating friends
former / childhood friends ?
romantic
exes
crushes .. former , one - sided , current , etc
flirtationship ?? a will they / won’t they ??? close friends who ppl think are dating ??? all of that???
familial
like a step-sibling but not like .. legally like their parents arent married ??
