whenshewasnice | A Record Store in Seattle, Thursday Afternoon

A Record Store in Seattle, Thursday Afternoon

Envy knew it was melodramatic to think she had nothing right now. Wasn't stopping her, though. She was on hold. In between. Things in Brazil were done but Todd was going to be at the Academy for a while, still. This wasn't at all how she'd have wanted this to go. Not at all.

She'd gotten the move started already. A lot of her things had been packed, largely on the energy she'd had to expend somewhere while she ignored the fact that Peter was traveling around, doing things she would no longer be a part of. Today, though, she'd just needed to run away. But somewhere that wasn't her own world, either. Time passed too slowly there right now.

So she ended up in Seattle. At this record store. She'd been here many times before, probably too many times. But it soothed her, just to be here, and it comforted her to flip through vinyl after vinyl, both second hand and new.

This time, though, she was picturing her own records being sold here. And screw you, Peter, for not asking, not assuming that was still her plan.

[ooc: NFB but open for whatever! This school info session is the worst.]

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Sam was trying to add some new music to his room at home. He'd listened to everything multiple times and he still loved it. That didn't mean he didn't like new things either.

He had his hood pulled up to protect against the misty rain and he wasn't paying all that much attention to the people around him. He was holding an old jazz album, turning it over idly and trying to decide if he wanted to pay the price on the tag or stick with something cheaper.

Envy wasn't paying too much attention, either. She was walking down the aisle, fingertips brushing over the tops of records, looking for the next section to give more attention to.

There was a guy in a hoodie in her peripheral vision. "Sorry," she said, as she moved to brush past him.

A small prickle of familiarity worked its way up Sam's spine at the voice but he shook it away. There was no way she was here, no way she'd be here and why should he feel that prickle after all this time?

"Yep," he mumbled, forcing himself to keep his eyes down because if it was her, he didn't know how he'd react. He was over her (he was sure of that) but there were still lots of lingering things that caused problems.

Envy moved past him, but stopped after she had. Like something had prodded a part of her brain and she didn't quite know what it was.

Too vague to make her turn around, though.

When Sam sensed she'd moved past, he turned to look at her. The long spill of blonde hair was familiar but he knew there were a lot of girls who looked like that. It didn't mean anything.

It didn't stop him from staring either.

Okay, the feeling of being stared at was also a vague one. But, it was enough to make her turn around.

And her eyebrows climbed up

"You're a long way from home," Sam said calmly, turning to slide the record back in its place. Now that he knew it was her, he had to force himself into a calm, cool tone. Their last conversation hadn't gone well and he remembered that acutely.

It'd been almost a couple of years since then for Envy. It wasn't as fresh in her mind.

Still, she remembered. "I always am." What was home, anyway? "Hey, Sam."

"Hello," Sam replied, nodding. "Why are you in Seattle? Business or pleasure?"

Envy shrugged one shoulder. "Current pleasure, future business."

It was an honest answer.

(She was ignoring the way she suddenly wanted a hug. From him, specifically. How did some urges never fully go away?)

"Busy," he remarked idly, picking up another record at random. "Well, I hope Seattle gives you what you're looking for."

He tucked the record under his arm.

Envy watched him. Not even for anything particular. This was just weird. With everything that had been happening lately, it was like being face to face with a memory.

"I'm just killing time," she said. "It's working okay so far."

"Well, it's a good city for that," he said, shrugging. He was uncomfortable, even more so than he typically was. "I'll tell Haley I saw you."

"Okay."

She felt like she should say something more. She really did. But that was all that came out because despite the urge, everything else seemed kind of pointless.

She didn't realize she was making a choice here.

Sam nodded and moved to walk by her to pay for the record he hadn't even looked at. "Take care of yourself."

"You too," she said.

Watched him go for a second.

Added, "And your completely random record." For no good reason.

"Sometimes I like surprises," Sam said though he didn't turn around. He didn't know why she'd said that but he'd stopped trying to analyze her words a long time ago.

Envy stood still for a second.

Then she snapped into movement. Snatched up a record – British new wave with a female singer, as it happened – and stuck that under his arm.

"Then take one more."

"I don't want this one," Sam said, pulling out and shaking his head. "I just want the one I have, Na -- "

He shut his mouth. "I just want this one."

"Why?"

She surprised herself by sounding so sincere.

"What's so special about that one?"

"What's so concerning about this to you?" Sam asked her, shaking his head. "It's just a record, okay? I just want to buy this one."

The clerk behind the counter was giving them both an odd look.

"Natalie -- " He stopped and thinned his lips. "Envy. I've got what I want."

Envy didn't much care what a clerk thought of her. Not even here. Or at least, not now. Not right now.

"Are you sure?" she asked. No particular tone, which somehow just made it sound evn more like she wasn't really asking about the records.

"What do want from me, Envy?" he asked, exasperated. "What?"

You know who should've really already been out of here? Envy. Definitely Envy.

"I just wanted to give you a surprise," she said. It wasn't really argumentative. It was just mild. "I wasn't aware I wasn't allowed."

Sam sighed and shook his head. He didn't even know what was going on here right now. "What's so special about this record?"

"Nothing," she said. "Nothing more or less special than the one you picked without looking."

She wasn't sure what was going on here either.

"So, why choose it?" he wondered, shaking his head. "It might not even be good. Why this for a surprise?"

"Why not?" Envy retorted. She had the urge to cross her arms, but didn't. She didn't do anything except straighten up further. "You don't know if the one you picked is any good either."

Sam sighed and shook his head. "I don't understand what point you're trying to make with me right now."

"Has it crossed your mind that maybe I'm not making a point?" she replied, with half a sigh exhaled before any of the words. "Maybe I'm just trying to give you something you might like, or you might not like. It's not a plot, Sam."

Sam sighed and took the record from her to look at it.

"New Wave," he remarked, making a face. "I like jazz."

"You weren't that picky when I knew you," she replied, shrugging one shoulder. Kind of. Minimal body language, and all. "What's wrong with new wave?"

"You don't know me anymore," Sam said, echoing her words from the last time they'd spoke. "Remember, you told me that about you once before."

"Hurtful," Envy replied, a little dryly. He wasn't wrong, of course. She had told him that, and she probably didn't know him all that well anymore. In fact, she knew she didn't.

It was part of why this was as uncomfortable as it was.

"I just wanted to take a chance on a record," she said. "Maybe give you something nice. Or possibly not. Because we are who we are, and you were important to me, and you were there when other people weren't."

Todd.

"It's all past tense now, isn't it?" Sam asked, taking the record and putting it on the counter. "I'll take a chance."

He dropped some bills on the counter and took the bag of two records.

"Even by your time, it's been a years," she replied, shrugging, as she watched him. "And we're not exactly close. Past tense. Though maybe not on all of it."

He was still important to her, in fits and starts.

"I have to go," Sam told her, nodding at her. He was just agreeing for the hell of it because he didn't want to think too much about their past. "Hope you're having a good life."

"It's getting there."

She didn't smile, but the only thing that stopped the heart eyes from appearing this time was the slight emotional conflict from that icon.

"Don't know when I'll see you again. Take care of yourself, Sam."

"Sure thing," he mumbled, moving past her and disappearing out the door of the record store.

Sigh.

Envy ignored the eyebrow raise from the clerk. She had... some more records to look at. Over here. Yes.

She really needed Todd to hurry up and graduate already.

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A Record Store in Seattle, Thursday Afternoon

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