A Bright Spot

Participants:

alia_icon.gif anna_icon.gif

Scene Title A Bright Spot
Synopsis Alia comes to Sam's Comics and gets chatty with the new employee.
Date November 12, 2010

Sam's Comics

Even from the outside, this store clearly caters to specific crowds. Cardboard standees of Spiderman, vie with Gandalf and one of the many manifestations of Dr. Who, and small posters declare release dates for various comics. Once inside, it is clear that comic books are the main sell. Everything from the most well-known to the obscure are present, lined up on the walls and on metal racks, every single one bagged and boarded individually to protect them from damage until they are sold. The store is updated weekly, so all the newest titles are available. Off to the side in a corner are other merchandise, action figures, board games, and figurines that make this place a haven for geeks. Right by the entrance is the counter with a display of the many manifestations of dice, with packets of cards sold behind it keeping the cash register company.


Sam's Comics, a lovely hideout of geekery and social awkardness. A place where geeks come to hang, discuss the latest comics, and the like. It went, luckily for New York's geeks, relatively unscathed through the recent riots.

Behind the counter stands a teenage girl known as Anna. The regulars might know her face by now, as she's been working here for a few weeks, but other than that… she's still a relatively fresh face on that side of the counter.

Doesn't mean she's never been to Sam's before, of course. Just that she's never stuck out as much as she does now. Young, cute, female employee of a geek hide-out. That's bound to grab some attention, if only from the store's regular clientele.

Alia isn't a regular in the normal sense of the word. Sam's is a place she visits every other month or so however. The lady with a skateboard tucked under her backpack, a normal jacket, and a scarf decorated with the style of 'space invaders' graphics tends to be somewhat memeorable. She pauses near the game displays, before moving to the comic racks with a smile.

Leaving the counter to a coworker for the moment, Anna moves on to the customer known as Alia. She puts on a pleasant enough smile… even if it seems a little fake, as she closes in to the woman.

"Hello, ma'am… can I be of assistance." The teenager asks, her voice sounding a little more filled with sadness than it should be, even though she is attempting to sound chipper and cheerful. "I'm Anna James, I work here." She explains herself.

A quick glance about the remainder of the store before looking back to Alia, "Anyway, if you need anything, do ask. That's what I'm paid for after all." Perhaps for the first time today her smile seems genuine.

Alia smiles as she nods to Anna and speaks in a quiet voice, "New Batman soon?" The short form of the words conflicts with the glimmer of intellegence in Alia's eyes.

"Should be coming in next week, yes." Anna answers, having heard this question before. She smiles, still forced, as she mentally goes over some things. "Okay, want to pre-order it, or just hope there's still one available when you come into the store next week?" The question is pleasant enough, but it's clearly one born from practice.

"So, you like batman?" The girl asks, trying to make conversation. It's not a busy day… riots still fresh in everyone's minds… including hers. "I have to admit that I'm not much a DC fan, but I do enjoy some of it, including a lot of batman stuff."

Alia smiles. She recongizes the forced smile, and nods to the question of pre-ordering… then softly. "Like lots. reminds me of… happier times."

"Okay, can I have your name, please?" Anna asks, mentally going over things to do when someone pre-orders anything. "You can pay when you come pick up the comic, but we have to know who pre-ordered it, right?" Another forced smile.

"Yeah, I can understand that… things used to be easier." A frown forms on Anna's face, but she fights it off quickly. "Anything else you need, or will that be all?" The girl starts to head back for the counter, "If you'd come along with me so we can enter the pre-order, I'd appreciate it, miss."

Alia smiles and follows along, digging out both her photo ID, and a bank card. She intends to pay now, it seems. both read "Alia Chavez"

"Okay, miss Chavez… does that bank card mean you want to pay right now?" Anna asks as she takes her stand behind the computer that registers stuff like pre-orders, typing in the name of the customer and the ordered issue of batman.

When that is handled, the card reader comes out and is placed in front of Alia, "Price is on the display, I assume you know how to work one of those things." The girl speaks, "Like I said, payment isn't strictly necessary right now, but it will guarantee we will hold on to the pre-ordered issue for longer than two weeks before deciding to put it on display."

Alia smiles and runs her card through the reader, and punches in her pin number. Run them machine. There's a sly smile on Alia's face. She could likely make the thing sing the national anthem if she was bored. Instead she smiles widely.

"Boys driving you nuts?" She finally asks. Alia is, it seems, used to being the nerd-ette at the gatherings. There's a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Some of them, yeah… well, most really." Anna answers the question as she prints out the receipt and hands it over, "Here's the receipt, miss Chavez." She smiles as she hands it over, a little less forced than before.

"I manage, however… I have to, or else we wouldn't be talking here… would we?" She chuckles faintly at her own words, "I mean, I'd have to give up my job if I couldn't manage it. Thank you for your patronage, by the way."

Alia smiles. "Please, I'm Alia." She grins. "Learn the shop better then them, only way they'll respect you for more than looks." The words sound as if to be of experience of some form or another. The young technopath has more than a little. After all, she's been playing with computers a long time now. The pause in her speech is a bit awkward. "And thank you, and employeer, for a happy spot in dark times."

"Okay, Alia." The girl responds as she finalizes the transaction, "And I know my way around the store pretty well already… have been a regular for a few years now." Anna quirks a grin, "Is why they hired me."

With the transaction finished, Anna is free to leave the counter again, she doesn't immediately do so however… instead grabbing for a can of diet coke she had placed beneath the counter, and taking a few sips before placing it back.

"I think I've actually seen you once or twice, Alia. Maybe even more… you've been here before, haven't you?" She asks, sounding to start a little more chipper now. "My apologies if I'm wrong."

Alia grins. "Every other month. One-shot night." She points to one of the D&D competition posters on the wall. She likely has a few on her own wall as trophies, actually.

Anna lets out a soft 'ah' sound, "Not much for dungeons and dragons myself." She explains herself, "More into magic if we aren't talking comics. Too bad the curfew means we can't really run friday night magic anymore." Anna sighs a little.

"Anyway, is there anything else I can help you with, or will that be all?" The teenager asks, "I'm afraid I can't let you monopolize my time, not when there are other customers to attend to."

Alia smiles and simply nods before heading for the door, taking her skateboard out from under her pack as she heads out… could she really use that as her main form of transportation?


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