REUBEN MAIER

reuben maier . for @aptshq

[reubenmr]

✽  . ˚   &.  「   MANDY PATINKIN.  SEVENTY.  CIS MAN.  HE/HIM.  」reuben  maier  occupies  level  two:  #205.  you'll  know  the  taurus  is  home  if  you  hear  lemon tree  by  peter  paul  &  mary  blasting  through  their  speakers.  the  owner  of  arcane  comics  has  been  living  in  wisteria  for  seven  years.  since  then  they've  built  a  reputation  for  being  friendly  and  jaded  ,  typical  for  the  bibliophile.

&.     statistics

full  name  :  reuben  maier

nickname/s  :  n/a

age  :  seventy

date  of  birth  :  eleventh  of  may  ,  nineteen  fifty  two

place  of  birth  :  new  york  city

gender  :  cis  man

pronouns  :  he  /  him

orientation  :  bisexual

&.     biography

born  1952  in  nyc  to  a  devout  jewish  couple  ,  reuben  was  always  an  avid  reader  of  anything  fantasy  or  sci-fi  ,  especially  comics  .  his  first  job  was  as  a  shop  clerk  for  the  bookstore  around  the  corner  from  his  childhood  home  ,  where  he  more  often  than  not  spent  at  least  half  his  paycheck  on  the  latest  editions  of  his  favourite  series  .

after  completing  high  school  ,  he  got  an  apprenticeship  with  an  electrician  .  not  the  most  interesting  of  careers  ,  but  certainly  fairly  lucrative  .  once  he  was  fully  trained  ,  reuben  moved  to  california  to  start  his  own  business  ,  wanting  a  change  of  scene  (  and  a  warmer  climate  )  .

he  retired  from  being  an  electrician  at  fifty  ,  once  he  had  amassed  enough  savings  to  be  able  to  do  what   he  really  wanted  —  start  a  comics  shop  .  he  bought  a  small  retail  space  in  downtown  l.a.  and  called  it  arcane  comics  .

since  then  ,  the  shop  has  grown  ,  moving  into  a  larger  space  and  expanding  into  different  styles  of  comics  ,  manga  and  comic  -  adjacent  items  .

reuben  usually  leaves  the  day  -  to  -  day  running  of  the  shop  to  his  staff  ,  though  he  drops  by  on  occasion  to  chat  to  customers  and  hand  out  surprise  discounts  ,  much  to  the  accountant’s  dismay  .  he  loves  hearing  about  what  other  people  are  interested  in  .

happily  married  for  the  last  thirty-seven  years  ,  with  two  kids  who  are  now  all  grown  up  and  off  doing  their  own  thing  .

[reubenmr]

@shantim  :  ❛ you look like you need a hug. ❜

“  well  then  what  are  you  standing  all  the  way  over  there  for  ?  ”  reuben  retorts  good-naturedly,  looking  up  from  the  pile  of  paperwork.  it’s  dull  work,  depressingly  so,  but  it  needs  doing.  “  i’m  just  having  a  small  crisis  over  how  big  my  kids  are  ...  elijah’s  got  a  fiance  !  ”  his  eyes  might  be  getting  a  little  foggy  ...  he’d  never  admit  it.

[reubenmr]

*  THEO.

          the  corner  of  her  lips  turn  up  into  a  cheerful  grin  ,  always  happy  to  see  the  shop  owner  .  “  we’ve  all  got  our  strengths  and  weaknesses  .  ”  they  chuckle  ,  fondly  shaking  their  head  at  him  .  she  hands  over  the  box  of  donuts  to  him  .  “  fair  enough  ,  your  secret’s  safe  with  me  .  she  won’t  hear  a  word  of  this  ,  ”  nose  playfully  scrunches  up  .  “  oh  these  ?  ”  holds  them  up  .  “  just  a  couple  issues  of  archie  comics  ––  the  classics  .  i’m  still  debating  if  i  want  to  give  the  newer  releases  a  shot  .  what  do  you  think  ?  ”

he  takes  the  box  with  a  grateful  smile,  already  planning  to  share  with  the  staff  on  their  breaks  —  and  he  will  save  some  for  annabelle,  despite  his  joking.  looking  at  the  comics  they’ve  picked  out,  reuben  grins.  “  good  choices,  if  you  ask  me.  i  remember  the  kids  used  to  love  those  comics.  ”  they  were  never  really  his  thing,  but  reuben  would  never  judge  someone  for  their  taste  in  comics.  “  i’m  always  in  favour  of  trying  something  new,  though  i’d  try  to  loan  a  copy  first  rather  than  commit  to  purchasing  anything  you  mightn’t  want,  ”  he  advises.

[reubenmr]

*  LEONARDO​.

* OPEN  STARTER  —  location : building mailboxes !

                        taking  his  key  out  of  the  mailbox  keyhole  ,  the  officer  looked  down  at  the  array  of  mail ;  flipping  through  it  and  already  sorting  through  the  things  that  had  his  name  on  it  versus  garrett’s  name  on  it  . arranging  it  in  a  way  to  where  he  can  tell  the  white  envelopes  apart  ,  he  cleared  his  throat  with  a  shake  of  his  head  at  the  sight  of  his  daughter’s  most  recent  progress  report  .  he  knew  what  it  was  based  on  the  school  logo  in  the  corner  along  with  the  asterisk  sighting  :  report  card  .  “  don’t  they  do  all  this  digitally  now  ??  “  he  asked  himself  out  loud  before  looking  up  at  the  other  .  “  in  your  opinion ,  do  you  think  a  car  is  a  …  valid  gift  for  a  seventeen  year  old  ??  or  …  would  you  wait  until  eighteen  ?? “  call  it  divorcee  parent  guilt  ,  but  stella  had  been  talking  about  getting  her  own  set  of  wheels  ever  since  she  got  her  hands  on  her  license  last  year  .

reuben  shrugs  as  he  flips  through  his  own  mail,  sorting  it  roughly  into  piles  of  his,  annabelle’s  and  share;  each  held  between  two  fingers  as  he  locks  the  mailbox.  “  depends,  ”  he  says,  “  there’s  a  lot  of  factors  :  can  you  or  they  afford  its  upkeep,  do  they  have  a  license,  is  a  car  necessary  for  the  kid  ?  ‘cause  if  they  live  in  the  middle  of  the  city,  a  car’s  probably  less  useful  than  spending  money  or  some  other  gift.  ”  though  to  be  fair,  he’s  biased  —  reuben  is  always  going  to  advocate  for  walking  or  public  transport.  “  but  yeah,  in  general  —  if  they  don’t  need  it  urgently  for  school  or  work  or  whatever,  i’d  wait  til  eighteen.  ”

[reubenmr]

*  SHANTIPRIYA.

                      not   the   greedy   type   ,   but   certainly   raised   around   that   energy.   even   at   her   age   it   was   odd   to   see   someone   who   didn’t   carry   themselves   with   that   mentality.   where   shanti   was   raised   ,   money   meant   everything.   even   when   you   had   more   than   enough   of   it.   she   sighed   and   accepted   her   defeat.       ❛❛   oh   ,   reuben.   you   have   this   way   of   making   me   believe   in   humanity.  ❜❜   she   smiled   at   him.   ❛❛   i   just   don’t   want   these   comic   dude-bros   take   advantage   of   you   and   annabelle.  even   though   i’d   be   more   than   happy   to   kick   their   asses   for  wisteria   favorite   couple.   ❜❜

it’s  gratifying,  seeing  shanti  so  defensive  of  him,  even   if  her  fears  are  unfounded  —  reuben  is  more  than  capable  of  evading  swindlers,  most  of  the  ‘dude-bros’  as  she  calls  them  will  run  off  in  moments  whenever  he  initiates  a  conversation.  “  they’re  welcome  to  try  taking  advantage  of  me,  but  i’ve  been  handling  comics  since  i  was  old  enough  to  read,  so  i  think  i’ve  got  the  upper  hand.  ”  and  he’s  friends  with  quite  a  few  comic  graders,  so  if  he  ever  needs  an  outside  opinion,  he’s  got  plenty  of  people  to  ask.  “  but  thanks  for  your  concern,  i’ll  be  sure  to  let  you  know  if  anyone  needs  a  good  ass-kicking.  ”

[reubenmr]

💚✏️☁️

💚 GREEN HEART - what things make your oc feel comforted? hugs, kisses, food?

hugs and kisses, absolutely ! reuben is definitely a tactile person, and physical contact is reassuring to him. the food his mum used to make is also comforting — but it's a double-edged sword 'cause he might start crying.

✏️ PENCIL - is there a particular quote / lyric that you associate with them?

“ i have a secret to tell / from my electrical well / it's a simple message and i'm leaving out the whistles and bells ” — birdhouse in your soul, they might be giants.

☁️ CLOUD - a soft headcanon

reuben is a great cook, so long as he's not improvising. he has a little notebook full of recipes that his mum wrote down for him when he moved out of home, that he's dutifully re-written every time the pages get damaged or the writing starts fading. when he and annabelle first started going out, he made an effort to learn malaysian and chinese recipes — venturing into shops where nothing was written in english to find ingredients, learning to cope with spicier food so he could make the dishes properly rather than cop-out bland versions. it was his way of showing her just how much he cared, when he was too awkward or nervous for words.

[reubenmr]

💓 BEATING HEART - what gets their heart racing? + 🌈 RAINBOW - what advice would they give to their younger self?

💓 BEATING HEART - what gets their heart racing?

exercise. he's an old man, walking too fast is strenuous.

🌈 RAINBOW - what advice would they give to their younger self?

don't buy that second-hand captain america comic ; absolutely she's into you ; get a haircut you fucking idiot that looks ridiculous

[reubenmr]

*  ANNABELLE.

among some of the greatest love stories of all time were reuben and annabelle maier, they had a ROMANCE for the ages, a bond so strong that close to forty years had passed them by and it simply felt like a never-ending honeymoon. while they had aged as the years went on, annie’s adoration for reuben remained as vibrant as it was in the early days of their relationship. everytime she gazed upon him, her heart swelled and butterflies fluttered around in her stomach as if she was in her twenties all over again.

the sound of her husband’s voice captured her attention, her gaze flicking towards where he stood, the warm los angeles sun beaming through the window. his question provoked her lips to curve into a sweet smile, a blush threatening to creep upon her cheeks.

“of course i do.” she chuckled, memories of their first meeting going to the forefront of her mind, it was a memory she thought about often, it never failed to make her feel weak at the knees. it was the day that changed the rest of her life. “you couldn’t keep your eyes off me and i was getting flustered while trying to manage a class of middle schoolers.” it was a sight to see, honestly. she’d never been much of a believer in love at first sight until she’d met reuben.

at that, she stood up to join him, his height making her look tiny in comparison. “one of the best days of my life. aside from our wedding day and the birth of the kids, obviously.” reaching out to take his hand in her own, her gaze flickered up to meet his, her goofy grin only getting wider.

“  to  this  day  i  don’t  believe  a  word  of  it,  you  looked  so  utterly  composed,  ”  reuben  says  with  a  smile,  remembering  how  effortlessly  she  seemed  to  manage  the  class  of  excitable  children  (  all  of  whom  had  been  very  interested  in  the  new  visitor  to  the  studio,  watching  him  with  eagle  eyes  and  posing  questions  whenever  they  thought  annabelle  wasn’t  looking  ).  “  and  there  i  was,  in  my  work  clothes,  covered  in  dust  ...  ”  it  had  been  a  trickier  job  than  expected,  having  to  remove  panels  of  plaster  to  get  at  the  wires  behind  the  walls  (  rodents,  the  natural  enemies  of  electricians  ),  and  by  the  time  he  was  finished  he  looked  a  right  mess.  “  i  think  everyone  else  there  thought  you  were  mad  to  even  look  in  my  direction.  ”  it  wasn’t  love  at  first  sight,  per  se  —  just  a  distinct  desire  to  get  to  know  her  better,  to  have  a  chance  for  the  fledgling  feelings  to  become  love  —  but  it  quickly  blossomed  into  it.

and  to  this  day,  he  is  eternally  glad  he  acted  on  those  feelings,  a  choice  that  allowed  him  to  be  here,  now  —  standing  beside  the  love  of  his  life,  holding  her  hand,  still  just  as  in  love  after  nearly  forty  years  of  marriage.  “  obviously,  ”  he  returns,  clasping  her  hand.  “  speaking  of  the  kids,  elijah  called  the  other  day.  wanted  to  tell  us  that  he  and  his  partner  —  what’s  her  name  again  ?  —  are  engaged  now.  they  grow  up  so  fast,  ”  reuben  says,  but  he’s  mostly  joking.  their  children  have  been  adults  in  their  own  right  for  over  a  decade  at  this  point,  he’s  over  it.  mostly.  he’ll  probably  only  be  fully  over  it  when  he’s  got  grandchildren  to  spoil  rotten.

[reubenmr]

✂️ SCISSORS - what is the “last straw” for them to cut someone out of their life? how easily do they let go of people?

reuben is pretty forgiving, by and large — it takes a lot for him to actually wholly cut someone off. obviously there's all the usual things, but tbh most of them would result in him not ever talking to that person in the first place. any kind of really deep betrayal would definitely be cause for him to cut someone out in a heartbeat.

as for letting go, he's a dad — he's both excellent and terrible at it. like, he's great at the physical aspect, and the encouraging people to seek their own path kind of letting go, but giving up an emotional connection ? give him several decades.

[reubenmr]

*  CLARISSA.

      a  sigh  of  relief  escaped  the  woman.  clarissa  didn’t  know  why  she  was  so  adamant  on  getting  them  a  gift  but  she  felt  like  she  needed  to  do  it.  perhaps  it  was  for  her  own  selfish  reasons  of  feeling  disconnected.  “oh,  brilliant!  thank  you  so  much.  ”  she  exclaimed,  nodding  at  the  person  who  was  helping  her.  “your  assumption  is  correct,  yes.  it’s  pretty  obvious,  isn’t  it?  i’m  most  likely  overstepping  with  this  but  it’s  just…  a  contribution,  let’s  say.  ”  he  wasn’t  a  therapist.  a  chuckle  then  escaped  her.  “  sorry,  i  just  never  saw  myself  searching  for  a  comic  while  not  even  knowing  how  to  pronounce  it.  it’s  quite  comedic,  i  feel.  ”

he  listens  attentively  as  she  explains  her  conundrum,  smiling.  “  i  think  you’re  worried  over  nothing,  ”  reuben  says,  “  whoever  you’re  buying  it  for  will  certainly  be  thrilled.  ”  he’d  hazard  a  guess  it’s  for  a  child,  probably  a  step-child  or  one  she  doesn’t  have  custody  of  —  but  he’s  not  going  to  assume,  and  if  she  doesn’t  want  to  tell  him  that’s  more  than  okay.  he  wouldn’t  share  something  super  personal  about  his  own  kids  with  a  stranger  either.  “  it  happens  more  than  you’d  think,  even  with  the  english-language  comics.  from  native  speakers,  no  less.  ”

[mysticmeadowz]

“I don’t know what exactly I’m even looking for anymore, honestly…” He answered with a soft, nervous chuckle, turning a smile up to the man that approached him before showing the two different comics he was holding in his hands. “I’ve been jumping around so much between stories that my brain is jumbled. “Oh really?” His eyebrows shot up as he glanced around the large store. “There’s more? You got any of the good Captain America ones hidden back there?” 

[reubenmr]

“ ah, now that is a conundrum, ” reuben says with a nod as the young man expresses his struggle. “ decisions, decisions, decisions. they're not my strong point either — my collection's quite extensive. ” some might accuse him of being rich, which is untrue — he's well off, yes, but that's because of his own hard work — but either way, his collection was mostly obtained when comics were all of a few cents per issue. “ the question is, what would you consider to be a good captain america one ? ” it's a fair question, given the shop's got a very large collection of comics from all different eras.

[reubenmr]

*  BRUCE.

✦        (         👔        )          ›          𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗  𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛.

              the   rain   wouldn’t   quit.   it’s   heavy.   and   each   drop   sounded   like   coins   falling   from   the   sky.   bruce   waited   in   the   lobby   with   a   carry-on   placed   neatly   by   his   feet.   he   scrolled   through   his   phone   anticipating   a   phone   call   to   inform   him   his   flight   had   been   canceled.   even   so   there’s   a   smidge   of   hope.   ❛❛   think   it’ll   let   up   anytime   soon   ?   ❜❜   bruce   slipped   his   phone   into   his   pocket.   ❛❛   i’m   going   to   grab   some   coffee   at   the   grind   time   if   you’d   like   to   join   me.   ❜❜

reuben  stands  in  the  lobby  staring  out  at  the  sky,  for  the  first  time  in  a  while  actually  regretting  his  decision  to  sell  his  car  all  those  years  ago.  the  walk  from  wisteria  to  the  shop  isn’t  terribly  long,  but  with  this  rain  —  well,  he  doesn’t  particularly  want  to  get  drenched.  “  well,  i  hope  it  will,  but  it  doesn’t  look  promising,  ”  he  says,  gesturing  to  the  weather  radar  he’s  pulled  up  on  his  phone  —  it  shows  a  splotch  of  dark  clouds  over  the  entirety  of  los  angeles.  “  sure,  i’ll  join  —  the  weather’s  perfect  for  that,  at  least.  ”

[reubenmr]

*  JESSICA.

OPEN  STARTER  :  location  —  outside  salt  &  straw  . 

     “  you’re  not  the  owner  of  a  2021  audi  Q7  are  you  ??  because  if  you  are  …  no  ,  i  don’t  know  how  that  scratch  got  on  your  bumper  .  and  if  you  aren’t  ….  you  didn’t  just  hear  me  confess  that  i’m  bad  at  parallel  parking  .  “  jessica  cleared  their  throat  ,  looking  over  at  the  other ;  a  slight  side  eye  as  they  lifted  their  hand  to  remotely  lock  the  doors  of  their  vehicle  .  “  i  want  no  trouble  -  i’m  just  here  for  a  goat  cheese  and  cherry  swirl  scoop  .  “

reuben  looks  at  the  car.  “  never  seen  it  before.  can’t  see  the  scratch  from  where  i’m  standing,  either.  ”  his  vision  isn’t  what  it  used  to  be,  even  with  glasses,  but  a  scratch  so  small  that  he  can’t  see  it  is  surely  going  to  go  unnoticed  long  enough  for  the  owner  to  forget  about  the  cars  they  might  have  seen  near  theirs.  “  i’m  much  more  interested  in  the  flavour  you’re  getting  —  goat  cheese  and  cherry  ?  that  sounds  cool.  ”

[reubenmr]

CLOSED  STARTER     |     @annabellemaier​​

to  some  people,  marriage  becomes  a  chore  once  the  novelty  wears  off.  reuben  doubts  that  the  novelty  will  ever  wear  off  —  it’s  been  nearly  four  decades  and  he  still  wakes  up  in  the  morning  needing  to  pinch  himself  to  be  sure  this  isn’t  a  dream  —  but  even  if  it  did,  being  married  to  annie  would  never  be  a  chore.

“  do  you  still  remember  how  we  met  ?  ”  he  asks,  a  fond  smile  on  his  face  as  he  looks  out  the  window.  it’s  a  silly  question  —  as  if  either  of  them  would  forget  such  a  thing  —  but  it’s  always  enjoyable  to  reminisce.

[reubenmr]

*  SHANTIPRIYA.

                   shantipriya   spotted    the    lot    of    vintage    books.    other    than    it’s    usual    wear    and    tear    that    came    with    time    the    books    seemed    to    be    in    great    condition.    ❛❛    reuben    ,    ❜❜    she    began    all    while    reaching    forward    for    the    books    in    his    grasp.    ❛❛    there’s    some    first    appearances    in    these.    you    can’t    just    put    them    out    !    get    them    pressed    and    slabbed.    they’ll    sell    for    a    hundred    times    more.    ❜❜   she    found    the    miyazaki    he    teased.    shantipriya    eyes    grew    in    size.      ❛❛      how    much    do    you    plan    on    selling    these    for    ?    ❜❜

“  oh,  but  you  know  me,  ”  he  says,  “  it’s  not  about  the  money.  and  slabbing’s  a  waste  of  time  and  money  —  what  good  is  a  book  you  can’t  read  ?  ”  reuben  isn’t  a  collector  in  the  common  sense,  not  looking  to  have  a  valuable  collection  —  for  him,  it’s  all  about  the  memories  the  comics  contain,  flipping  through  pages  and  reminiscing  about  times  long  past.  so  he  rarely  bothers  to  put  such  effort  in  for  the  books  in  the  store,  preferring  instead  to  give  them  plastic  sleeves  and  other  such  openable  protective  coverings.  “  there’s  a  range  of  quality,  so  some  of  them’ll  be  a  hundred  or  more  and  others  i  couldn’t  in  good  conscience  charge  more  than  five  bucks  for.  ”

[reubenmr]

*  JUDAH.

            A  MAN  WHO  ENTERS  A  ONCE - NATURAL  HABITAT  is  suddenly  sent  reeling  back  into  a  faded  recollection.   suddenly  he’s  bitter  seventeen  again  &  looking  for  an  exit  when  he  sets  foot  into  the  old  comic  &  cassette  emporium  in  midtown.   the  shop  doesn’t  quite  compare  to  the  concrete  jungle  comfort  he’d  once  know,  but  that  doesn’t  quite  deminish  the  wonderous  look  on  jude’s  visage  as  he  paruses  about  before  wandering  over  to  the  front  counter.   “  do  you  guys  carry  any  rare  captain  america  runs  ?”  consider  this  making  himself  at  home,  fingers  tabbing  through  a  nearby  box  of  prints,  “  my  neice  is  a  huge  fuckin’  fan,  and  i’m  looking  to  score  some  ‘ cool  uncle ’  points.  ”

“  what  kind  of  comic  book  shop  would  we  be  if  we  didn’t  ?  ”  reuben  says  in  his  usual  dry  but  vaguely  amused  tone.  “  the  antiques  and  rares  are  on  that  shelf  over  there,  but  if  you’ve  got  a  specific  edition  in  mind  that  you  can’t  find,  we  might  have  it  out  back,  or  i  can  ask  around  with  our  suppliers,  if  they  know  any  other  places  that  might  sell  it.  ”  the  shop’s  collection  almost  eclipses  his  own  personal  collection  —  an  achievement,  given  it’s  been  growing  and  growing  since  reuben  was  old  enough  to  read.  “  think  we  might  even  have  a  109  in  there  somewhere.  ”

[reubenmr]

*  CLARISSA.

      buying  a  comic  for  her  ex  partner’s  child’s  birthday  wasn’t  a  good  idea  but  not  getting  them  anything  felt  rather  strange  to  her.  the  two  had  been  together  several  years  and  had  recently  split,  why  the  woman  found  herself  in  evening  attire  alone  in  a  comic  store  when  she  knew  nothing  about  them.  “oh,  hello.”  the  woman  started.  “i  am  actually looking  for  something,  it’s …”  she  looked  down  at  the  notes  in  her  phone.  “i’m  not  even  going  to  attempt  to  say  that.”  pulling  a  smile,  she  held  out  the  device  to  the  other.  “someone  said  it  was  hard  to  find  but  it’s  worth  a  shot.”

“  well,  you’ve  come  to  the  right  place,  ”  reuben  says  as  he  squints  at  the  text  on  her  phone  screen.  “  we’ve  got  quite  a  good  collection  of  rare  and  out-of-print  comics  —  and  unless  i’m  mistaken,  that  one  should  be  here  somewhere  ...  ”  he  scans  the  shelves  and  boxes  around  them,  looking  for  the  familiar  cover.  “  hm.  give  me  a  second,  i’ll  get  someone  to  check  out  the  back.  ”  after  turning  to  give  instructions  to  a  passing  employee,  he  returns  to  the  conversation.  “  so,  i’m  assuming  it’s  not  for  you  ?  ”