Hello !! Welcome to a rp blog for my Lost Boys oc- James Oscar!
Main is @sapphiregem01 - Asks are open to all!! Feel free to interact as either an oc or lost boys character - Mod is 18 so 18+ interactions + shipping/flirting are fine but not with minors/characters who are minors
I rp as both his Musical version and Movie version on here so feel free to specify in asks if you wanna rp with a specific one (will be denoted by colored text)
-Main info about him-
Freelance sound/lighting tech guy for the lost boy’s band
Part time worker at the Santa Carla records store (Met Michael there)
Age 19
Vampire who got turned in the mid 1970s
Baby sat the Frog brothers when he first moved to town- is the one who got the two hooked on vampire hunting (complete accident- he often would warn the two about vampires so they wouldn’t wind up turned like him)
His back teeth are really fucking sharp, like nearly as sharp as his fangs
TURBO NEEERRRDDD <3
[Random fun fact] Plays piano shockingly well, and a little bit of guitar
Below is specific differences/info about his Movie version and his Musical version! (Art/proper designs of each coming soon)
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Musical!James Oscar
Bisexual trans guy, He/it
Fashion sense leans more into his 70s roots/upbringing than the ‘modern’ 80s fashion
Laid back, often just lets the Frogs do their own thing as long as their home by curfew whenever he watches them
Isn’t part of the main gang- they’re friends n shit but he’s really just their tech dude, personally thinks Max is a bit of a creep
Sometimes lets the Frog’s- and Sam- sneak into concerts he’s working at to watch
Knows Sam better than Michael due to the Frogs, he thinks the kids nice, likes to give him old comics of his n’ shit
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Movie!James Oscar
Bisexual, He/him
Fashion sense leans more 80s punk since he hangs around the gang a little more
Still laid back but does NOT let the Frogs come to the gangs concerts out of fear they’ll figure out the whole vampire thing, also watches the Frogs a little more closely than his musical counterpart
Still not in/part of the gang but follows them around more and is a little closer to them, still thinks Max is a weirdo tho
Still closer to Sam than Michael but knows Michael better here due to the gang, often takes the Frogs and Sam over to the record store whenever the main gang shows up at the comic shop
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-Tags-
#🎧🎤asks - Musical!James Ask answers
#🎧📹asks - Movie!James Ask answers
#🎧rbs - Reblogs
#🎧🎤rp - Musical!James Roleplay chains/threads
#🎧📹rp - Movie!James Roleplay chains/threads
#🎧18+ - 18+ rps/interactions
#🎧hot mic - Miscellaneous in character posts
#🎧🎤HC - Headcanons about Musical!James + the boys
#🎧📹HC - Headcanons about Movie!James + the boys
#🎧doodles - Art made by the mod of James (feel free to send art requests)
It was a warm summer evening in Santa Carla, a slight breeze flowing through the air as many of the shops along the boardwalk began to pack up for the night. Many, except for one- the records store, ‘Santa Carla Records’, still has its lights on with a lone employee rooming the quaint shop, seemingly taking stock of inventory.
His gaze flickered between a clipboard and the shelves, checking off and noting down what they did and didn’t have, picking up a vinyl every now and then to check its condition before moving onto the next.
He was so engrossed in the task, muttering to himself under his breath as he realized some teenager stole another walkman cassette when he wasn’t looking, that he didn’t hear the bell above the front door ring, jumping nearly a foot in the air when he turned to a costumer that had suddenly appeared behind him.
“SHIT- Fucking- gah-“ He startled, nearly his dropping his dropping his clipboard but managing to catch it after a bit of fumbling. Once awkwardly cleared his throat once he realized there was no threat, straightening himself up and plastering a well-practiced costumer service smile onto his face. “Welcome to Santa Carla Records! Best- and only- record store in town! How can I help you to-.. night?”
Michael had been meaning to check out the record store since the day he saw it. Especially with the lack of entertainment at their new home, he was in desperate need of some new music. If not to fight off boredom, then to just give him something to do to drown out his mother's prodding and his brother's nagging.
Michael enters the Record Store and freezes for a moment when the cashier startles. "Shit, sorry," he says, shutting the door behind him. "Didn't mean to scare you. You alright?"
He steps further into the store, glancing around at the different displays. He goes on, "Yeah, actually, do you have any Echo and the Bunnymen cassettes? Been meaning to grab one for ages," he says, running a hand through his hair.
“I’m alright, don’t worry.” The employee assured before happily motioning behind himself to the store’s cassette shelves. “I think we’ve got a few yeah, ‘believe we’ve even got a sale on Bunnymen at the moment, had a kid coming in asking about them for his older-.. brother..” He trailed off, squinting at the guy for a moment as if deep in thought. “.. Hey.. you’re the older Emerson kid, aren’t ya’!”
Michael laughs a little. “Sure am,” he says with a smile. “Didn’t expect anyone to know that with how new we are. But it sounds like you’ve already met Sammy? He says.”
It strikes Michael that Sammy had been asking about stuff for him. With everything that had been going on with them recently, Michael didn’t think Sammy would be keeping him in mind like that. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it, so he didn’t comment on it.
”Ye-ep!” The man beamed, popping the ‘p’ dramatically as he pointed to a sign on the wall reading that all Bunnymen Walkman cassettes were on sale for 60% off, along with a couple others. “Quite the steal if I do-say-so-myself.”
He set his clipboard down on the shelf before he asking over to the front cashier counter, realizing he should probably get to actually doing his job. “And for the record, yeah I know Sammy. Hard for me not to- I’m the Frog brother’s babysitter, so I see that kid a lot. He’s got pretty good taste in comics.”
It was a warm summer evening in Santa Carla, a slight breeze flowing through the air as many of the shops along the boardwalk began to pack up for the night. Many, except for one- the records store, ‘Santa Carla Records’, still has its lights on with a lone employee rooming the quaint shop, seemingly taking stock of inventory.
His gaze flickered between a clipboard and the shelves, checking off and noting down what they did and didn’t have, picking up a vinyl every now and then to check its condition before moving onto the next.
He was so engrossed in the task, muttering to himself under his breath as he realized some teenager stole another walkman cassette when he wasn’t looking, that he didn’t hear the bell above the front door ring, jumping nearly a foot in the air when he turned to a costumer that had suddenly appeared behind him.
“SHIT- Fucking- gah-“ He startled, nearly his dropping his dropping his clipboard but managing to catch it after a bit of fumbling. Once awkwardly cleared his throat once he realized there was no threat, straightening himself up and plastering a well-practiced costumer service smile onto his face. “Welcome to Santa Carla Records! Best- and only- record store in town! How can I help you to-.. night?”
If there was one thing that could make Jaxon feel any better after a long day hunting, it would be media. And thats exactly how he ended up in a record store he has never seen in town before.
It was a long and kinda excruciating day of hunting, with no luck whatsoever. The dragon was tired and overall grumpy. And as he walked through the town that evening, heading home, he spotted the dim lights and the sign of his favorite thing ever. Media. And as his eyes lit up, he beelined towards the shop.
Who could blame the dragon? Well, certainly not the guy right in front of him, catching Jaxon off guard as he took a look around the space. He wasnt trying to scare the guy, but somehow managed to catch him off guard, more like they both caught each other off guard.
Jaxon cleared his throat, ignoring the fact that he jumped from the other guy. "Uhm, hi." He murmured, his accent slightly peeking through his tired voice. "I just wanted to...look. I never seen this Record store before." While it wasnt a lie that he wanted to look, honestly he was trying to not go apeshit and look at everything all at once. "Im surprised this place is open at this hour."
The employee beamed, setting his clipboard down to continue his task later. “Well, welcome in then! I’d be happy to show you around and help whenever ya’ need.” He said, already striding off to the front desk.
He chuckled at the other’s second comment, shrugging. “Yeah, boss likes to keep us open late just in case- but I like the later hours so not like I can complain.”
He hummed in acknowledgement, his mind already getting distracted by the large selection all around him. He walked slowly among the shelves as he started to speak.
"Aren't you afraid of not getting any business, though?" He asked, "genuine question." He clarified on that last bit, thinking he sounded like an asshole saying that, as much as he liked being an asshole sometimes. He added on to his question, "And you guys were here this whole time? How come I never heard of this place?" He was kinda baffled that he never heard of this place.
”Eh, not like we get anymore business in the daylight,” He muttered, stepping behind the front desk to grab a couple of records he needed to restock. “Besides, we like staying to cater to all the weirdos with sleep schedules so shit they may as well be nocturnal- exhibit A.” He dramatically motioned to himself with a smile, placing some paperwork on the desk.
“No one really comes here all that often since the comic book place opened up though, and I can’t even say I blame ‘em. They’ve got all the cool nerd shit.. and better prices..” He mumbled, the multitude of pins on his uniform jacket showing his clear experience in the matter.
"I see, calling yourself a weirdo then?" He teased, seemingly getting comfortable with James and his presence already.
It took a bit for Jaxon to speak again. To be honest, he had respect for comic books, but you can never make him choose comic books.
"That comic store has nothing compared to what this place is." Jaxon remarked. "Film and music will always reign on top, even if the comic store has better prices." He joked somewhat.
”Hey, I’m not saying this stuff is any worse than comics- this shit is great! I’m just jealous the folks workin’ at that place get to read all the new releases first before they’re stocked..” James muttered, chuckling. “Though, I get to listen to most of our new releases before we stock them too, so eh, grass is always greener and that bull.” He waved his hand as he spoke, nearly knocking some records off the desk with his.. unique gestures as most people called them. People tended to call most things about James unique.
“And for the record, yes, I’m definitely calling myself a weirdo, thank you very much.. though, then again, you’re the one shopping at a record store this late, so I think it’s safe to call us both weirdos here.” He joked, flashing Jaxon a toothy grin. A very toothy grin.
"Fair enough." He chuckled. He walked over to James, setting down his pile of accumulated assortment of records. "Theres always gotta be pros and cons to everything."
"First time I've been called weird in my life. Ill own it up though." Jaxon didnt seem to be fazed by the teeth he could see from James' smile.
James huffed, sifting through the stack Jaxon had set down. “Damn, really? Kinda’ a shocker- no offense, again, that’s coming from a self proclaimed weirdo.. this all you were lookin’ to get or is there anything else?”
"Hell yeah, man. No worries though, no offense taken." He reassured the man. "Besides, being called weird is like a compliment to me."
Jaxon nodded, pulling out his wallet. "You really shouldnt have trusted me with this place. I won't be able to not come back. Once you introduce a place of interest to me, the place won't be left unscathed, mein Freund." It was his turn to give the toothy smile, showing off his pointer than normal teeth.
James barked out a laugh as he rung up Jaxon’s total, bagging up his items. “Well can’t wait to see you back here then!” He exclaimed smiling back, throwing in a bonus free coupon into Jaxon’s bag while reading off his total.
Upon seeing his reaction, Jaxon gave a small chuckle in response. He dug out the money from his wallet, fumbling the cash as he did so. Despite how many times he has purchased things, he couldn't seem to be organized when it came to his cash.
"Do you work every night, by chance?" Jaxon asked suddenly as he handed over the cash, "I wanna know if Ill keep seeing your face here at this hour."
James, unlike most night shift employees, didn’t mind the fumbling. It was always nice to know there were folks out there just as bad with their cash as he was.
“Yep, work every night- sometimes mornings too, depending on the day n’ shit.” He said as he took the cash, having to smack the side of the cash register a few times in order to get it to open. “You’re stuck seein’ little ol’ me unless one of my coworkers decides to stop on by.. which, they do sometimes, mainly Rowan when she’s free..” He seemed to be rambling at this point, his gaze somewhere off in space while muscle memory worked his hands to finish up the transaction and hand Jaxon his receipt and bag.
"Mornings too? I dont know which ones worse. Mornings or night shifts." He pondered, reaching out to take the bag as he did so.
Jaxon didnt really mind that James was rambling, in fact, it mostly amused Jaxon. "Im not complaining in the slightest here," Jaxon told him "your definitely interesting, Ill tell you that."
James shrugged, leaning against counter behind him. “Eh, depends on the day- I’m usually busy in the mornings though so again, always prefer a night shift.”
He snorted, grinning again. “Could say the same to you, dude. Can’t wait to see you back here- better yet, stop by the boardwalk during one of concerts soon, I’m working tech for those all week.”
"Okay, I think you like night shifts at this point." Jaxon teased. He shifted his stance, leaning on one foot.
"Oh? I couldnt tell you are also a tech guy as well. First music, now a light show? Do you do finger puppets in the lights?" He joked. "And what time are these concerts? Do you do the background stuff for all of the bands that come in the area or just a particular one?"
”I usually look more the part without the uniform,” James joked, pulling at his jacket collar. “And for the record yes I do make finger puppets sometimes, depends on the gig.”
He stepped out from the desk to for his clipboard, having immediately forgotten where he had set it down earlier. “This week the concerts start around 8pm, usually on weekends- I’m freelance so I do a couple bands but recently this one specific one has been hiring me consistently though since their based here, it’s been nice.”
"Nothing wrong with a little finger puppet here and there. Would be funny to see one during a show, though." He chuckled.
Jaxon turned in the direction that James went in, letting his eyes follow James as he went for his clipboard. "How exciting. Which band, by chance? Ill make sure to see them." He started swinging the bag of records in his hands.
”Oh don’t even mention it, I’ve been tempted to do one during a show for ageeesss now,” He muttered, picking up his clipboard to sort through his stock lists again. “The band calls themselves ‘The Lost Boys’, ya’ heard of ‘em? I keep hearing that their kinda infamous around here.”
Jaxon's eyes widened when he heard the name. "Them, huh?" Jaxon muttered. "Yeah, I've heard of them before. More like I spoke to some of them before." He rolled his eyes, going silent for a few seconds.
"I mean, there are worse bands to work for, but hey, money is money, I guess," He shrugged "I mostly like the one guy, Dwayne, I think his name is? Hes not bad. A cool guy."
James perked up at hearing Jaxon had met the boys before, smiling ear to ear. “Oh cool! Those guys are pretty nice, pay well too- and for the record, Dwayne is indeed a very cool guy. In fact, I’m his favorite techie.” He boasted proudly, taking much too much pride in surpassing a probably rather low bar.
"Oh really now? His favorite?" Jaxon cocked his head to the side. "How come? You guys just are similar or something?"
"Well, if you say I should go and all, I'll totally watch the show. Mostly because you said so. I dont normally like being in crowds for long." He muttered that last part to himself.
“I just get him, according to Dwayne. Plus, we like to go shopping together.” He said with another lazy shrug, fiddling with his clipboard again. “Hell yeah, man! I can even snag you a spot near the tech booth with me if ya’ want, it’s further away from the crowd- higher up too, but it’s got a killer view.”
"Oh, gotcha. Nothing wrong with that." He staryed messing with the buttons on the sleeve of his denim jacket.
His raised an eyebrow at James's offer. "You can, can you?" Jaxon walked over to the entrance to the place. "Let me think of that offer, okay? You doing stuff for them tomorrow by chance?"
James nodded. “Take as long as you need, man- and yeah, I’ve gotta help them set up some new cables n’ shit for their instruments tomorrow. They all finally got their hands on the fancy type equipment and have no idea how it works, heh.”
It was a warm summer evening in Santa Carla, a slight breeze flowing through the air as many of the shops along the boardwalk began to pack up for the night. Many, except for one- the records store, ‘Santa Carla Records’, still has its lights on with a lone employee rooming the quaint shop, seemingly taking stock of inventory.
His gaze flickered between a clipboard and the shelves, checking off and noting down what they did and didn’t have, picking up a vinyl every now and then to check its condition before moving onto the next.
He was so engrossed in the task, muttering to himself under his breath as he realized some teenager stole another walkman cassette when he wasn’t looking, that he didn’t hear the bell above the front door ring, jumping nearly a foot in the air when he turned to a costumer that had suddenly appeared behind him.
“SHIT- Fucking- gah-“ He startled, nearly his dropping his dropping his clipboard but managing to catch it after a bit of fumbling. Once awkwardly cleared his throat once he realized there was no threat, straightening himself up and plastering a well-practiced costumer service smile onto his face. “Welcome to Santa Carla Records! Best- and only- record store in town! How can I help you to-.. night?”
If there was one thing that could make Jaxon feel any better after a long day hunting, it would be media. And thats exactly how he ended up in a record store he has never seen in town before.
It was a long and kinda excruciating day of hunting, with no luck whatsoever. The dragon was tired and overall grumpy. And as he walked through the town that evening, heading home, he spotted the dim lights and the sign of his favorite thing ever. Media. And as his eyes lit up, he beelined towards the shop.
Who could blame the dragon? Well, certainly not the guy right in front of him, catching Jaxon off guard as he took a look around the space. He wasnt trying to scare the guy, but somehow managed to catch him off guard, more like they both caught each other off guard.
Jaxon cleared his throat, ignoring the fact that he jumped from the other guy. "Uhm, hi." He murmured, his accent slightly peeking through his tired voice. "I just wanted to...look. I never seen this Record store before." While it wasnt a lie that he wanted to look, honestly he was trying to not go apeshit and look at everything all at once. "Im surprised this place is open at this hour."
The employee beamed, setting his clipboard down to continue his task later. “Well, welcome in then! I’d be happy to show you around and help whenever ya’ need.” He said, already striding off to the front desk.
He chuckled at the other’s second comment, shrugging. “Yeah, boss likes to keep us open late just in case- but I like the later hours so not like I can complain.”
He hummed in acknowledgement, his mind already getting distracted by the large selection all around him. He walked slowly among the shelves as he started to speak.
"Aren't you afraid of not getting any business, though?" He asked, "genuine question." He clarified on that last bit, thinking he sounded like an asshole saying that, as much as he liked being an asshole sometimes. He added on to his question, "And you guys were here this whole time? How come I never heard of this place?" He was kinda baffled that he never heard of this place.
”Eh, not like we get anymore business in the daylight,” He muttered, stepping behind the front desk to grab a couple of records he needed to restock. “Besides, we like staying to cater to all the weirdos with sleep schedules so shit they may as well be nocturnal- exhibit A.” He dramatically motioned to himself with a smile, placing some paperwork on the desk.
“No one really comes here all that often since the comic book place opened up though, and I can’t even say I blame ‘em. They’ve got all the cool nerd shit.. and better prices..” He mumbled, the multitude of pins on his uniform jacket showing his clear experience in the matter.
"I see, calling yourself a weirdo then?" He teased, seemingly getting comfortable with James and his presence already.
It took a bit for Jaxon to speak again. To be honest, he had respect for comic books, but you can never make him choose comic books.
"That comic store has nothing compared to what this place is." Jaxon remarked. "Film and music will always reign on top, even if the comic store has better prices." He joked somewhat.
”Hey, I’m not saying this stuff is any worse than comics- this shit is great! I’m just jealous the folks workin’ at that place get to read all the new releases first before they’re stocked..” James muttered, chuckling. “Though, I get to listen to most of our new releases before we stock them too, so eh, grass is always greener and that bull.” He waved his hand as he spoke, nearly knocking some records off the desk with his.. unique gestures as most people called them. People tended to call most things about James unique.
“And for the record, yes, I’m definitely calling myself a weirdo, thank you very much.. though, then again, you’re the one shopping at a record store this late, so I think it’s safe to call us both weirdos here.” He joked, flashing Jaxon a toothy grin. A very toothy grin.
"Fair enough." He chuckled. He walked over to James, setting down his pile of accumulated assortment of records. "Theres always gotta be pros and cons to everything."
"First time I've been called weird in my life. Ill own it up though." Jaxon didnt seem to be fazed by the teeth he could see from James' smile.
James huffed, sifting through the stack Jaxon had set down. “Damn, really? Kinda’ a shocker- no offense, again, that’s coming from a self proclaimed weirdo.. this all you were lookin’ to get or is there anything else?”
"Hell yeah, man. No worries though, no offense taken." He reassured the man. "Besides, being called weird is like a compliment to me."
Jaxon nodded, pulling out his wallet. "You really shouldnt have trusted me with this place. I won't be able to not come back. Once you introduce a place of interest to me, the place won't be left unscathed, mein Freund." It was his turn to give the toothy smile, showing off his pointer than normal teeth.
James barked out a laugh as he rung up Jaxon’s total, bagging up his items. “Well can’t wait to see you back here then!” He exclaimed smiling back, throwing in a bonus free coupon into Jaxon’s bag while reading off his total.
Upon seeing his reaction, Jaxon gave a small chuckle in response. He dug out the money from his wallet, fumbling the cash as he did so. Despite how many times he has purchased things, he couldn't seem to be organized when it came to his cash.
"Do you work every night, by chance?" Jaxon asked suddenly as he handed over the cash, "I wanna know if Ill keep seeing your face here at this hour."
James, unlike most night shift employees, didn’t mind the fumbling. It was always nice to know there were folks out there just as bad with their cash as he was.
“Yep, work every night- sometimes mornings too, depending on the day n’ shit.” He said as he took the cash, having to smack the side of the cash register a few times in order to get it to open. “You’re stuck seein’ little ol’ me unless one of my coworkers decides to stop on by.. which, they do sometimes, mainly Rowan when she’s free..” He seemed to be rambling at this point, his gaze somewhere off in space while muscle memory worked his hands to finish up the transaction and hand Jaxon his receipt and bag.
"Mornings too? I dont know which ones worse. Mornings or night shifts." He pondered, reaching out to take the bag as he did so.
Jaxon didnt really mind that James was rambling, in fact, it mostly amused Jaxon. "Im not complaining in the slightest here," Jaxon told him "your definitely interesting, Ill tell you that."
James shrugged, leaning against counter behind him. “Eh, depends on the day- I’m usually busy in the mornings though so again, always prefer a night shift.”
He snorted, grinning again. “Could say the same to you, dude. Can’t wait to see you back here- better yet, stop by the boardwalk during one of concerts soon, I’m working tech for those all week.”
"Okay, I think you like night shifts at this point." Jaxon teased. He shifted his stance, leaning on one foot.
"Oh? I couldnt tell you are also a tech guy as well. First music, now a light show? Do you do finger puppets in the lights?" He joked. "And what time are these concerts? Do you do the background stuff for all of the bands that come in the area or just a particular one?"
”I usually look more the part without the uniform,” James joked, pulling at his jacket collar. “And for the record yes I do make finger puppets sometimes, depends on the gig.”
He stepped out from the desk to for his clipboard, having immediately forgotten where he had set it down earlier. “This week the concerts start around 8pm, usually on weekends- I’m freelance so I do a couple bands but recently this one specific one has been hiring me consistently though since their based here, it’s been nice.”
"Nothing wrong with a little finger puppet here and there. Would be funny to see one during a show, though." He chuckled.
Jaxon turned in the direction that James went in, letting his eyes follow James as he went for his clipboard. "How exciting. Which band, by chance? Ill make sure to see them." He started swinging the bag of records in his hands.
”Oh don’t even mention it, I’ve been tempted to do one during a show for ageeesss now,” He muttered, picking up his clipboard to sort through his stock lists again. “The band calls themselves ‘The Lost Boys’, ya’ heard of ‘em? I keep hearing that their kinda infamous around here.”
Jaxon's eyes widened when he heard the name. "Them, huh?" Jaxon muttered. "Yeah, I've heard of them before. More like I spoke to some of them before." He rolled his eyes, going silent for a few seconds.
"I mean, there are worse bands to work for, but hey, money is money, I guess," He shrugged "I mostly like the one guy, Dwayne, I think his name is? Hes not bad. A cool guy."
James perked up at hearing Jaxon had met the boys before, smiling ear to ear. “Oh cool! Those guys are pretty nice, pay well too- and for the record, Dwayne is indeed a very cool guy. In fact, I’m his favorite techie.” He boasted proudly, taking much too much pride in surpassing a probably rather low bar.
"Oh really now? His favorite?" Jaxon cocked his head to the side. "How come? You guys just are similar or something?"
"Well, if you say I should go and all, I'll totally watch the show. Mostly because you said so. I dont normally like being in crowds for long." He muttered that last part to himself.
“I just get him, according to Dwayne. Plus, we like to go shopping together.” He said with another lazy shrug, fiddling with his clipboard again. “Hell yeah, man! I can even snag you a spot near the tech booth with me if ya’ want, it’s further away from the crowd- higher up too, but it’s got a killer view.”
It was a warm summer evening in Santa Carla, a slight breeze flowing through the air as many of the shops along the boardwalk began to pack up for the night. Many, except for one- the records store, ‘Santa Carla Records’, still has its lights on with a lone employee rooming the quaint shop, seemingly taking stock of inventory.
His gaze flickered between a clipboard and the shelves, checking off and noting down what they did and didn’t have, picking up a vinyl every now and then to check its condition before moving onto the next.
He was so engrossed in the task, muttering to himself under his breath as he realized some teenager stole another walkman cassette when he wasn’t looking, that he didn’t hear the bell above the front door ring, jumping nearly a foot in the air when he turned to a costumer that had suddenly appeared behind him.
“SHIT- Fucking- gah-“ He startled, nearly his dropping his dropping his clipboard but managing to catch it after a bit of fumbling. Once awkwardly cleared his throat once he realized there was no threat, straightening himself up and plastering a well-practiced costumer service smile onto his face. “Welcome to Santa Carla Records! Best- and only- record store in town! How can I help you to-.. night?”
If there was one thing that could make Jaxon feel any better after a long day hunting, it would be media. And thats exactly how he ended up in a record store he has never seen in town before.
It was a long and kinda excruciating day of hunting, with no luck whatsoever. The dragon was tired and overall grumpy. And as he walked through the town that evening, heading home, he spotted the dim lights and the sign of his favorite thing ever. Media. And as his eyes lit up, he beelined towards the shop.
Who could blame the dragon? Well, certainly not the guy right in front of him, catching Jaxon off guard as he took a look around the space. He wasnt trying to scare the guy, but somehow managed to catch him off guard, more like they both caught each other off guard.
Jaxon cleared his throat, ignoring the fact that he jumped from the other guy. "Uhm, hi." He murmured, his accent slightly peeking through his tired voice. "I just wanted to...look. I never seen this Record store before." While it wasnt a lie that he wanted to look, honestly he was trying to not go apeshit and look at everything all at once. "Im surprised this place is open at this hour."
The employee beamed, setting his clipboard down to continue his task later. “Well, welcome in then! I’d be happy to show you around and help whenever ya’ need.” He said, already striding off to the front desk.
He chuckled at the other’s second comment, shrugging. “Yeah, boss likes to keep us open late just in case- but I like the later hours so not like I can complain.”
He hummed in acknowledgement, his mind already getting distracted by the large selection all around him. He walked slowly among the shelves as he started to speak.
"Aren't you afraid of not getting any business, though?" He asked, "genuine question." He clarified on that last bit, thinking he sounded like an asshole saying that, as much as he liked being an asshole sometimes. He added on to his question, "And you guys were here this whole time? How come I never heard of this place?" He was kinda baffled that he never heard of this place.
”Eh, not like we get anymore business in the daylight,” He muttered, stepping behind the front desk to grab a couple of records he needed to restock. “Besides, we like staying to cater to all the weirdos with sleep schedules so shit they may as well be nocturnal- exhibit A.” He dramatically motioned to himself with a smile, placing some paperwork on the desk.
“No one really comes here all that often since the comic book place opened up though, and I can’t even say I blame ‘em. They’ve got all the cool nerd shit.. and better prices..” He mumbled, the multitude of pins on his uniform jacket showing his clear experience in the matter.
"I see, calling yourself a weirdo then?" He teased, seemingly getting comfortable with James and his presence already.
It took a bit for Jaxon to speak again. To be honest, he had respect for comic books, but you can never make him choose comic books.
"That comic store has nothing compared to what this place is." Jaxon remarked. "Film and music will always reign on top, even if the comic store has better prices." He joked somewhat.
”Hey, I’m not saying this stuff is any worse than comics- this shit is great! I’m just jealous the folks workin’ at that place get to read all the new releases first before they’re stocked..” James muttered, chuckling. “Though, I get to listen to most of our new releases before we stock them too, so eh, grass is always greener and that bull.” He waved his hand as he spoke, nearly knocking some records off the desk with his.. unique gestures as most people called them. People tended to call most things about James unique.
“And for the record, yes, I’m definitely calling myself a weirdo, thank you very much.. though, then again, you’re the one shopping at a record store this late, so I think it’s safe to call us both weirdos here.” He joked, flashing Jaxon a toothy grin. A very toothy grin.
"Fair enough." He chuckled. He walked over to James, setting down his pile of accumulated assortment of records. "Theres always gotta be pros and cons to everything."
"First time I've been called weird in my life. Ill own it up though." Jaxon didnt seem to be fazed by the teeth he could see from James' smile.
James huffed, sifting through the stack Jaxon had set down. “Damn, really? Kinda’ a shocker- no offense, again, that’s coming from a self proclaimed weirdo.. this all you were lookin’ to get or is there anything else?”
"Hell yeah, man. No worries though, no offense taken." He reassured the man. "Besides, being called weird is like a compliment to me."
Jaxon nodded, pulling out his wallet. "You really shouldnt have trusted me with this place. I won't be able to not come back. Once you introduce a place of interest to me, the place won't be left unscathed, mein Freund." It was his turn to give the toothy smile, showing off his pointer than normal teeth.
James barked out a laugh as he rung up Jaxon’s total, bagging up his items. “Well can’t wait to see you back here then!” He exclaimed smiling back, throwing in a bonus free coupon into Jaxon’s bag while reading off his total.
Upon seeing his reaction, Jaxon gave a small chuckle in response. He dug out the money from his wallet, fumbling the cash as he did so. Despite how many times he has purchased things, he couldn't seem to be organized when it came to his cash.
"Do you work every night, by chance?" Jaxon asked suddenly as he handed over the cash, "I wanna know if Ill keep seeing your face here at this hour."
James, unlike most night shift employees, didn’t mind the fumbling. It was always nice to know there were folks out there just as bad with their cash as he was.
“Yep, work every night- sometimes mornings too, depending on the day n’ shit.” He said as he took the cash, having to smack the side of the cash register a few times in order to get it to open. “You’re stuck seein’ little ol’ me unless one of my coworkers decides to stop on by.. which, they do sometimes, mainly Rowan when she’s free..” He seemed to be rambling at this point, his gaze somewhere off in space while muscle memory worked his hands to finish up the transaction and hand Jaxon his receipt and bag.
"Mornings too? I dont know which ones worse. Mornings or night shifts." He pondered, reaching out to take the bag as he did so.
Jaxon didnt really mind that James was rambling, in fact, it mostly amused Jaxon. "Im not complaining in the slightest here," Jaxon told him "your definitely interesting, Ill tell you that."
James shrugged, leaning against counter behind him. “Eh, depends on the day- I’m usually busy in the mornings though so again, always prefer a night shift.”
He snorted, grinning again. “Could say the same to you, dude. Can’t wait to see you back here- better yet, stop by the boardwalk during one of concerts soon, I’m working tech for those all week.”
"Okay, I think you like night shifts at this point." Jaxon teased. He shifted his stance, leaning on one foot.
"Oh? I couldnt tell you are also a tech guy as well. First music, now a light show? Do you do finger puppets in the lights?" He joked. "And what time are these concerts? Do you do the background stuff for all of the bands that come in the area or just a particular one?"
”I usually look more the part without the uniform,” James joked, pulling at his jacket collar. “And for the record yes I do make finger puppets sometimes, depends on the gig.”
He stepped out from the desk to for his clipboard, having immediately forgotten where he had set it down earlier. “This week the concerts start around 8pm, usually on weekends- I’m freelance so I do a couple bands but recently this one specific one has been hiring me consistently though since their based here, it’s been nice.”
"Nothing wrong with a little finger puppet here and there. Would be funny to see one during a show, though." He chuckled.
Jaxon turned in the direction that James went in, letting his eyes follow James as he went for his clipboard. "How exciting. Which band, by chance? Ill make sure to see them." He started swinging the bag of records in his hands.
”Oh don’t even mention it, I’ve been tempted to do one during a show for ageeesss now,” He muttered, picking up his clipboard to sort through his stock lists again. “The band calls themselves ‘The Lost Boys’, ya’ heard of ‘em? I keep hearing that their kinda infamous around here.”
Jaxon's eyes widened when he heard the name. "Them, huh?" Jaxon muttered. "Yeah, I've heard of them before. More like I spoke to some of them before." He rolled his eyes, going silent for a few seconds.
"I mean, there are worse bands to work for, but hey, money is money, I guess," He shrugged "I mostly like the one guy, Dwayne, I think his name is? Hes not bad. A cool guy."
James perked up at hearing Jaxon had met the boys before, smiling ear to ear. “Oh cool! Those guys are pretty nice, pay well too- and for the record, Dwayne is indeed a very cool guy. In fact, I’m his favorite techie.” He boasted proudly, taking much too much pride in surpassing a probably rather low bar.
The girl in pastels was minding her business in the boardwalk, walking around with her nose stuck in a book. Of course she had to watch where she was going, making sure to stay out of everyone's way and not bump into people. The sound of carnival games, screams and thrills filled the air showing off its summertime atmosphere. Amelia didn't pay much attention to the rides or games at the moment, having her eyes glued to the pages of her favorite book 'Phantom of the Opera'
If Amelia could go on and on about why that particular book was her favorite, she would. But people didn't think much about books like they used to, paying more attention to pop culture around like like music and movies. Amelia didn't mind it from time to time, but she'd rather be reading then having to deal with people. Suddenly, Amelia bumped into someone, dropping her book onto the cold ground. "Sorry bout that," she said, kneeling down to pick up the hardcover book, tucking a piece of her long dark curls until a hand reached out to grab the book.
”Shit- nah, that was on me, sorry..” The man said, grumbling a little to himself as he dusted off his work uniform before noticing the book in her hands. “.. Hey, is that Phantom of the Opera?”
Amelia paused, looking up at the stranger before standing up on her own. She nods in response, dusting her pastel cardigan a bit, "Y-yeah it is. It's my favorite book actually. My late uncle gave it to me as a birthday present years ago"
He nodded, looking inquisitively down at the book before whistling. “Damn, that’s sick. Still in good shape too?- You must love that thing!” He chuckled, honestly impressed at how the book both managed to look well loved yet also well kept.
“Y-yeah thanks,” She said, kindly taking the book back from the other, “Wait, aren’t you from the record store around here?”
The male before her did look familiar, seeing him a few times at the record store but never went inside herself. Amelia has seen a couple of records on display but didn’t have to time to visit since she had other things to do.
The man huffed, scratching his neck awkwardly. “Yeah, I work over there- hell, if you’ve been to any concerts recently you might’ve seen me there too. I work tech for a shit ton of the boardwalk shows.”
James barked out a laugh, nodding. “Yep, they might as well hire me full time at this point with how many of their shows I’ve worked.” He joked, tugging at his uniform jacket to show the pin with the band’s logo on it- something the boys had clearly gifted him themselves.
Amelia giggled at the joke, tucking a piece of her long dark curls behind her ear, “Maybe I’ll visit the record store sometime, been looking for some new albums and all that for my Walkman. The names Amelia by the way, Amelia Sanchez, but my friends call me ‘Mia’”
He grinned, happily holding out a hand for his to shake if she pleased. “James Oscar- though, my friends call me Jamie- lovely to meet you Ms Sanchez. I’m sure it’ll be even lovelier to see you come by the store someday, we’ve got plenty of albums to go around!”
The girl in pastels was minding her business in the boardwalk, walking around with her nose stuck in a book. Of course she had to watch where she was going, making sure to stay out of everyone's way and not bump into people. The sound of carnival games, screams and thrills filled the air showing off its summertime atmosphere. Amelia didn't pay much attention to the rides or games at the moment, having her eyes glued to the pages of her favorite book 'Phantom of the Opera'
If Amelia could go on and on about why that particular book was her favorite, she would. But people didn't think much about books like they used to, paying more attention to pop culture around like like music and movies. Amelia didn't mind it from time to time, but she'd rather be reading then having to deal with people. Suddenly, Amelia bumped into someone, dropping her book onto the cold ground. "Sorry bout that," she said, kneeling down to pick up the hardcover book, tucking a piece of her long dark curls until a hand reached out to grab the book.
”Shit- nah, that was on me, sorry..” The man said, grumbling a little to himself as he dusted off his work uniform before noticing the book in her hands. “.. Hey, is that Phantom of the Opera?”
Amelia paused, looking up at the stranger before standing up on her own. She nods in response, dusting her pastel cardigan a bit, "Y-yeah it is. It's my favorite book actually. My late uncle gave it to me as a birthday present years ago"
He nodded, looking inquisitively down at the book before whistling. “Damn, that’s sick. Still in good shape too?- You must love that thing!” He chuckled, honestly impressed at how the book both managed to look well loved yet also well kept.
“Y-yeah thanks,” She said, kindly taking the book back from the other, “Wait, aren’t you from the record store around here?”
The male before her did look familiar, seeing him a few times at the record store but never went inside herself. Amelia has seen a couple of records on display but didn’t have to time to visit since she had other things to do.
The man huffed, scratching his neck awkwardly. “Yeah, I work over there- hell, if you’ve been to any concerts recently you might’ve seen me there too. I work tech for a shit ton of the boardwalk shows.”
James barked out a laugh, nodding. “Yep, they might as well hire me full time at this point with how many of their shows I’ve worked.” He joked, tugging at his uniform jacket to show the pin with the band’s logo on it- something the boys had clearly gifted him themselves.
It was a warm summer evening in Santa Carla, a slight breeze flowing through the air as many of the shops along the boardwalk began to pack up for the night. Many, except for one- the records store, ‘Santa Carla Records’, still has its lights on with a lone employee rooming the quaint shop, seemingly taking stock of inventory.
His gaze flickered between a clipboard and the shelves, checking off and noting down what they did and didn’t have, picking up a vinyl every now and then to check its condition before moving onto the next.
He was so engrossed in the task, muttering to himself under his breath as he realized some teenager stole another walkman cassette when he wasn’t looking, that he didn’t hear the bell above the front door ring, jumping nearly a foot in the air when he turned to a costumer that had suddenly appeared behind him.
“SHIT- Fucking- gah-“ He startled, nearly his dropping his dropping his clipboard but managing to catch it after a bit of fumbling. Once awkwardly cleared his throat once he realized there was no threat, straightening himself up and plastering a well-practiced costumer service smile onto his face. “Welcome to Santa Carla Records! Best- and only- record store in town! How can I help you to-.. night?”
If there was one thing that could make Jaxon feel any better after a long day hunting, it would be media. And thats exactly how he ended up in a record store he has never seen in town before.
It was a long and kinda excruciating day of hunting, with no luck whatsoever. The dragon was tired and overall grumpy. And as he walked through the town that evening, heading home, he spotted the dim lights and the sign of his favorite thing ever. Media. And as his eyes lit up, he beelined towards the shop.
Who could blame the dragon? Well, certainly not the guy right in front of him, catching Jaxon off guard as he took a look around the space. He wasnt trying to scare the guy, but somehow managed to catch him off guard, more like they both caught each other off guard.
Jaxon cleared his throat, ignoring the fact that he jumped from the other guy. "Uhm, hi." He murmured, his accent slightly peeking through his tired voice. "I just wanted to...look. I never seen this Record store before." While it wasnt a lie that he wanted to look, honestly he was trying to not go apeshit and look at everything all at once. "Im surprised this place is open at this hour."
The employee beamed, setting his clipboard down to continue his task later. “Well, welcome in then! I’d be happy to show you around and help whenever ya’ need.” He said, already striding off to the front desk.
He chuckled at the other’s second comment, shrugging. “Yeah, boss likes to keep us open late just in case- but I like the later hours so not like I can complain.”
He hummed in acknowledgement, his mind already getting distracted by the large selection all around him. He walked slowly among the shelves as he started to speak.
"Aren't you afraid of not getting any business, though?" He asked, "genuine question." He clarified on that last bit, thinking he sounded like an asshole saying that, as much as he liked being an asshole sometimes. He added on to his question, "And you guys were here this whole time? How come I never heard of this place?" He was kinda baffled that he never heard of this place.
”Eh, not like we get anymore business in the daylight,” He muttered, stepping behind the front desk to grab a couple of records he needed to restock. “Besides, we like staying to cater to all the weirdos with sleep schedules so shit they may as well be nocturnal- exhibit A.” He dramatically motioned to himself with a smile, placing some paperwork on the desk.
“No one really comes here all that often since the comic book place opened up though, and I can’t even say I blame ‘em. They’ve got all the cool nerd shit.. and better prices..” He mumbled, the multitude of pins on his uniform jacket showing his clear experience in the matter.
"I see, calling yourself a weirdo then?" He teased, seemingly getting comfortable with James and his presence already.
It took a bit for Jaxon to speak again. To be honest, he had respect for comic books, but you can never make him choose comic books.
"That comic store has nothing compared to what this place is." Jaxon remarked. "Film and music will always reign on top, even if the comic store has better prices." He joked somewhat.
”Hey, I’m not saying this stuff is any worse than comics- this shit is great! I’m just jealous the folks workin’ at that place get to read all the new releases first before they’re stocked..” James muttered, chuckling. “Though, I get to listen to most of our new releases before we stock them too, so eh, grass is always greener and that bull.” He waved his hand as he spoke, nearly knocking some records off the desk with his.. unique gestures as most people called them. People tended to call most things about James unique.
“And for the record, yes, I’m definitely calling myself a weirdo, thank you very much.. though, then again, you’re the one shopping at a record store this late, so I think it’s safe to call us both weirdos here.” He joked, flashing Jaxon a toothy grin. A very toothy grin.
"Fair enough." He chuckled. He walked over to James, setting down his pile of accumulated assortment of records. "Theres always gotta be pros and cons to everything."
"First time I've been called weird in my life. Ill own it up though." Jaxon didnt seem to be fazed by the teeth he could see from James' smile.
James huffed, sifting through the stack Jaxon had set down. “Damn, really? Kinda’ a shocker- no offense, again, that’s coming from a self proclaimed weirdo.. this all you were lookin’ to get or is there anything else?”
"Hell yeah, man. No worries though, no offense taken." He reassured the man. "Besides, being called weird is like a compliment to me."
Jaxon nodded, pulling out his wallet. "You really shouldnt have trusted me with this place. I won't be able to not come back. Once you introduce a place of interest to me, the place won't be left unscathed, mein Freund." It was his turn to give the toothy smile, showing off his pointer than normal teeth.
James barked out a laugh as he rung up Jaxon’s total, bagging up his items. “Well can’t wait to see you back here then!” He exclaimed smiling back, throwing in a bonus free coupon into Jaxon’s bag while reading off his total.
Upon seeing his reaction, Jaxon gave a small chuckle in response. He dug out the money from his wallet, fumbling the cash as he did so. Despite how many times he has purchased things, he couldn't seem to be organized when it came to his cash.
"Do you work every night, by chance?" Jaxon asked suddenly as he handed over the cash, "I wanna know if Ill keep seeing your face here at this hour."
James, unlike most night shift employees, didn’t mind the fumbling. It was always nice to know there were folks out there just as bad with their cash as he was.
“Yep, work every night- sometimes mornings too, depending on the day n’ shit.” He said as he took the cash, having to smack the side of the cash register a few times in order to get it to open. “You’re stuck seein’ little ol’ me unless one of my coworkers decides to stop on by.. which, they do sometimes, mainly Rowan when she’s free..” He seemed to be rambling at this point, his gaze somewhere off in space while muscle memory worked his hands to finish up the transaction and hand Jaxon his receipt and bag.
"Mornings too? I dont know which ones worse. Mornings or night shifts." He pondered, reaching out to take the bag as he did so.
Jaxon didnt really mind that James was rambling, in fact, it mostly amused Jaxon. "Im not complaining in the slightest here," Jaxon told him "your definitely interesting, Ill tell you that."
James shrugged, leaning against counter behind him. “Eh, depends on the day- I’m usually busy in the mornings though so again, always prefer a night shift.”
He snorted, grinning again. “Could say the same to you, dude. Can’t wait to see you back here- better yet, stop by the boardwalk during one of concerts soon, I’m working tech for those all week.”
"Okay, I think you like night shifts at this point." Jaxon teased. He shifted his stance, leaning on one foot.
"Oh? I couldnt tell you are also a tech guy as well. First music, now a light show? Do you do finger puppets in the lights?" He joked. "And what time are these concerts? Do you do the background stuff for all of the bands that come in the area or just a particular one?"
”I usually look more the part without the uniform,” James joked, pulling at his jacket collar. “And for the record yes I do make finger puppets sometimes, depends on the gig.”
He stepped out from the desk to for his clipboard, having immediately forgotten where he had set it down earlier. “This week the concerts start around 8pm, usually on weekends- I’m freelance so I do a couple bands but recently this one specific one has been hiring me consistently though since their based here, it’s been nice.”
"Nothing wrong with a little finger puppet here and there. Would be funny to see one during a show, though." He chuckled.
Jaxon turned in the direction that James went in, letting his eyes follow James as he went for his clipboard. "How exciting. Which band, by chance? Ill make sure to see them." He started swinging the bag of records in his hands.
”Oh don’t even mention it, I’ve been tempted to do one during a show for ageeesss now,” He muttered, picking up his clipboard to sort through his stock lists again. “The band calls themselves ‘The Lost Boys’, ya’ heard of ‘em? I keep hearing that their kinda infamous around here.”
The girl in pastels was minding her business in the boardwalk, walking around with her nose stuck in a book. Of course she had to watch where she was going, making sure to stay out of everyone's way and not bump into people. The sound of carnival games, screams and thrills filled the air showing off its summertime atmosphere. Amelia didn't pay much attention to the rides or games at the moment, having her eyes glued to the pages of her favorite book 'Phantom of the Opera'
If Amelia could go on and on about why that particular book was her favorite, she would. But people didn't think much about books like they used to, paying more attention to pop culture around like like music and movies. Amelia didn't mind it from time to time, but she'd rather be reading then having to deal with people. Suddenly, Amelia bumped into someone, dropping her book onto the cold ground. "Sorry bout that," she said, kneeling down to pick up the hardcover book, tucking a piece of her long dark curls until a hand reached out to grab the book.
”Shit- nah, that was on me, sorry..” The man said, grumbling a little to himself as he dusted off his work uniform before noticing the book in her hands. “.. Hey, is that Phantom of the Opera?”
Amelia paused, looking up at the stranger before standing up on her own. She nods in response, dusting her pastel cardigan a bit, "Y-yeah it is. It's my favorite book actually. My late uncle gave it to me as a birthday present years ago"
He nodded, looking inquisitively down at the book before whistling. “Damn, that’s sick. Still in good shape too?- You must love that thing!” He chuckled, honestly impressed at how the book both managed to look well loved yet also well kept.
“Y-yeah thanks,” She said, kindly taking the book back from the other, “Wait, aren’t you from the record store around here?”
The male before her did look familiar, seeing him a few times at the record store but never went inside herself. Amelia has seen a couple of records on display but didn’t have to time to visit since she had other things to do.
The man huffed, scratching his neck awkwardly. “Yeah, I work over there- hell, if you’ve been to any concerts recently you might’ve seen me there too. I work tech for a shit ton of the boardwalk shows.”
It was a warm summer evening in Santa Carla, a slight breeze flowing through the air as many of the shops along the boardwalk began to pack up for the night. Many, except for one- the records store, ‘Santa Carla Records’, still has its lights on with a lone employee rooming the quaint shop, seemingly taking stock of inventory.
His gaze flickered between a clipboard and the shelves, checking off and noting down what they did and didn’t have, picking up a vinyl every now and then to check its condition before moving onto the next.
He was so engrossed in the task, muttering to himself under his breath as he realized some teenager stole another walkman cassette when he wasn’t looking, that he didn’t hear the bell above the front door ring, jumping nearly a foot in the air when he turned to a costumer that had suddenly appeared behind him.
“SHIT- Fucking- gah-“ He startled, nearly his dropping his dropping his clipboard but managing to catch it after a bit of fumbling. Once awkwardly cleared his throat once he realized there was no threat, straightening himself up and plastering a well-practiced costumer service smile onto his face. “Welcome to Santa Carla Records! Best- and only- record store in town! How can I help you to-.. night?”
Michael had been meaning to check out the record store since the day he saw it. Especially with the lack of entertainment at their new home, he was in desperate need of some new music. If not to fight off boredom, then to just give him something to do to drown out his mother's prodding and his brother's nagging.
Michael enters the Record Store and freezes for a moment when the cashier startles. "Shit, sorry," he says, shutting the door behind him. "Didn't mean to scare you. You alright?"
He steps further into the store, glancing around at the different displays. He goes on, "Yeah, actually, do you have any Echo and the Bunnymen cassettes? Been meaning to grab one for ages," he says, running a hand through his hair.
“I’m alright, don’t worry.” The employee assured before happily motioning behind himself to the store’s cassette shelves. “I think we’ve got a few yeah, ‘believe we’ve even got a sale on Bunnymen at the moment, had a kid coming in asking about them for his older-.. brother..” He trailed off, squinting at the guy for a moment as if deep in thought. “.. Hey.. you’re the older Emerson kid, aren’t ya’!”
Rowan someone stole like 5 Walkman tapes again when I wasn’t looking at work HIDE ME the boss is gonna get my ass if he finds out 😭
– @santacarlarecords
Fuuuuck hide behind the counter I’ll tell him it was a couple of the surf nazis when I was working then he can’t get mad. Dude knows there’s nothing my 5’2 ass can do about it.
It was a warm summer evening in Santa Carla, a slight breeze flowing through the air as many of the shops along the boardwalk began to pack up for the night. Many, except for one- the records store, ‘Santa Carla Records’, still has its lights on with a lone employee rooming the quaint shop, seemingly taking stock of inventory.
His gaze flickered between a clipboard and the shelves, checking off and noting down what they did and didn’t have, picking up a vinyl every now and then to check its condition before moving onto the next.
He was so engrossed in the task, muttering to himself under his breath as he realized some teenager stole another walkman cassette when he wasn’t looking, that he didn’t hear the bell above the front door ring, jumping nearly a foot in the air when he turned to a costumer that had suddenly appeared behind him.
“SHIT- Fucking- gah-“ He startled, nearly his dropping his dropping his clipboard but managing to catch it after a bit of fumbling. Once awkwardly cleared his throat once he realized there was no threat, straightening himself up and plastering a well-practiced costumer service smile onto his face. “Welcome to Santa Carla Records! Best- and only- record store in town! How can I help you to-.. night?”
If there was one thing that could make Jaxon feel any better after a long day hunting, it would be media. And thats exactly how he ended up in a record store he has never seen in town before.
It was a long and kinda excruciating day of hunting, with no luck whatsoever. The dragon was tired and overall grumpy. And as he walked through the town that evening, heading home, he spotted the dim lights and the sign of his favorite thing ever. Media. And as his eyes lit up, he beelined towards the shop.
Who could blame the dragon? Well, certainly not the guy right in front of him, catching Jaxon off guard as he took a look around the space. He wasnt trying to scare the guy, but somehow managed to catch him off guard, more like they both caught each other off guard.
Jaxon cleared his throat, ignoring the fact that he jumped from the other guy. "Uhm, hi." He murmured, his accent slightly peeking through his tired voice. "I just wanted to...look. I never seen this Record store before." While it wasnt a lie that he wanted to look, honestly he was trying to not go apeshit and look at everything all at once. "Im surprised this place is open at this hour."
The employee beamed, setting his clipboard down to continue his task later. “Well, welcome in then! I’d be happy to show you around and help whenever ya’ need.” He said, already striding off to the front desk.
He chuckled at the other’s second comment, shrugging. “Yeah, boss likes to keep us open late just in case- but I like the later hours so not like I can complain.”
He hummed in acknowledgement, his mind already getting distracted by the large selection all around him. He walked slowly among the shelves as he started to speak.
"Aren't you afraid of not getting any business, though?" He asked, "genuine question." He clarified on that last bit, thinking he sounded like an asshole saying that, as much as he liked being an asshole sometimes. He added on to his question, "And you guys were here this whole time? How come I never heard of this place?" He was kinda baffled that he never heard of this place.
”Eh, not like we get anymore business in the daylight,” He muttered, stepping behind the front desk to grab a couple of records he needed to restock. “Besides, we like staying to cater to all the weirdos with sleep schedules so shit they may as well be nocturnal- exhibit A.” He dramatically motioned to himself with a smile, placing some paperwork on the desk.
“No one really comes here all that often since the comic book place opened up though, and I can’t even say I blame ‘em. They’ve got all the cool nerd shit.. and better prices..” He mumbled, the multitude of pins on his uniform jacket showing his clear experience in the matter.
"I see, calling yourself a weirdo then?" He teased, seemingly getting comfortable with James and his presence already.
It took a bit for Jaxon to speak again. To be honest, he had respect for comic books, but you can never make him choose comic books.
"That comic store has nothing compared to what this place is." Jaxon remarked. "Film and music will always reign on top, even if the comic store has better prices." He joked somewhat.
”Hey, I’m not saying this stuff is any worse than comics- this shit is great! I’m just jealous the folks workin’ at that place get to read all the new releases first before they’re stocked..” James muttered, chuckling. “Though, I get to listen to most of our new releases before we stock them too, so eh, grass is always greener and that bull.” He waved his hand as he spoke, nearly knocking some records off the desk with his.. unique gestures as most people called them. People tended to call most things about James unique.
“And for the record, yes, I’m definitely calling myself a weirdo, thank you very much.. though, then again, you’re the one shopping at a record store this late, so I think it’s safe to call us both weirdos here.” He joked, flashing Jaxon a toothy grin. A very toothy grin.
"Fair enough." He chuckled. He walked over to James, setting down his pile of accumulated assortment of records. "Theres always gotta be pros and cons to everything."
"First time I've been called weird in my life. Ill own it up though." Jaxon didnt seem to be fazed by the teeth he could see from James' smile.
James huffed, sifting through the stack Jaxon had set down. “Damn, really? Kinda’ a shocker- no offense, again, that’s coming from a self proclaimed weirdo.. this all you were lookin’ to get or is there anything else?”
"Hell yeah, man. No worries though, no offense taken." He reassured the man. "Besides, being called weird is like a compliment to me."
Jaxon nodded, pulling out his wallet. "You really shouldnt have trusted me with this place. I won't be able to not come back. Once you introduce a place of interest to me, the place won't be left unscathed, mein Freund." It was his turn to give the toothy smile, showing off his pointer than normal teeth.
James barked out a laugh as he rung up Jaxon’s total, bagging up his items. “Well can’t wait to see you back here then!” He exclaimed smiling back, throwing in a bonus free coupon into Jaxon’s bag while reading off his total.
Upon seeing his reaction, Jaxon gave a small chuckle in response. He dug out the money from his wallet, fumbling the cash as he did so. Despite how many times he has purchased things, he couldn't seem to be organized when it came to his cash.
"Do you work every night, by chance?" Jaxon asked suddenly as he handed over the cash, "I wanna know if Ill keep seeing your face here at this hour."
James, unlike most night shift employees, didn’t mind the fumbling. It was always nice to know there were folks out there just as bad with their cash as he was.
“Yep, work every night- sometimes mornings too, depending on the day n’ shit.” He said as he took the cash, having to smack the side of the cash register a few times in order to get it to open. “You’re stuck seein’ little ol’ me unless one of my coworkers decides to stop on by.. which, they do sometimes, mainly Rowan when she’s free..” He seemed to be rambling at this point, his gaze somewhere off in space while muscle memory worked his hands to finish up the transaction and hand Jaxon his receipt and bag.
"Mornings too? I dont know which ones worse. Mornings or night shifts." He pondered, reaching out to take the bag as he did so.
Jaxon didnt really mind that James was rambling, in fact, it mostly amused Jaxon. "Im not complaining in the slightest here," Jaxon told him "your definitely interesting, Ill tell you that."
James shrugged, leaning against counter behind him. “Eh, depends on the day- I’m usually busy in the mornings though so again, always prefer a night shift.”
He snorted, grinning again. “Could say the same to you, dude. Can’t wait to see you back here- better yet, stop by the boardwalk during one of concerts soon, I’m working tech for those all week.”
"Okay, I think you like night shifts at this point." Jaxon teased. He shifted his stance, leaning on one foot.
"Oh? I couldnt tell you are also a tech guy as well. First music, now a light show? Do you do finger puppets in the lights?" He joked. "And what time are these concerts? Do you do the background stuff for all of the bands that come in the area or just a particular one?"
”I usually look more the part without the uniform,” James joked, pulling at his jacket collar. “And for the record yes I do make finger puppets sometimes, depends on the gig.”
He stepped out from the desk to for his clipboard, having immediately forgotten where he had set it down earlier. “This week the concerts start around 8pm, usually on weekends- I’m freelance so I do a couple bands but recently this one specific one has been hiring me consistently though since their based here, it’s been nice.”
Setting up for tech and have been reminded how much I hate the boardwalk spotlight area why is it so high up why is there no protective glass in the viewing window whyyyy :[[[
Setting up for tech and have been reminded how much I hate the boardwalk spotlight area why is it so high up why is there no protective glass in the viewing window whyyyy :[[[
Setting up for tech and have been reminded how much I hate the boardwalk spotlight area why is it so high up why is there no protective glass in the viewing window whyyyy :[[[
