Participants:
Scene Title | Sell your Soul… for comics! |
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Synopsis | Quinn comes in to find out what the heck Magnes is talking about with comic book characters, and Kendall helps her out. |
Date | August 11, 2010 |
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.
Quinn had actually stood outside of Sam's Comics for near to five minutes before she actually decided to stand in. It wasn't nearly the first comic store she'd been to in her life time, she'd had other friends besides Magnes who were in to comics, if not nearly so enthusiastic about them as he was.
She, however, had never set foot inside of one on her own.
Having spent the last few minutes wandering up and down racks of comics and big bins of back issues, standees, figurines, practically everything one could imagine. About the only thing she'd recognise was a collection of Doctor Who standees, along with a few DVDs - one of which she had been quick to grab, as she didn't yet own the 2009 specials on DVD yet.
That, however, was not what she was here for. What she was here for had proven so far hard to find. Magnes had gotten her rather interested in both this Scott Pilgrim comic that the movie she was planning on taking everyone to see was based on, as well as these Green and Blue lanterns, the former of which she only had a very cursory knowledge of. And now, unable to find either, she's wandering up and down, a lost expression on her face.
Kendall has a shiny nametag on, and is straightening comics. when Quinn passes him looking lost, he turns and smiles. "Hey, welcome to Sam's Comics, can I help you find anything?" he asks her, gaze going to whatever she's looking at currently. "Or are you browsing?" he squints at her, then. "Weren't you at my birthday party?"
"Huh?" Quinn says with a small bit of a start, spinning back around on her heel to face Kendall, green skirt billowing a bit from the rapid motion. Straighting her blue t-shirt, she tilts her head at Kendall. "Um…" She squints. "Yeah! I'm, um, terrible with names, though… Ken, right?" She reaches up, scratching the side of her head. "I'm, uh- Magnes told me I should pick up a few things for my self, I was hopin' to find 'em here."
"Oh, Magnes did?" Kendall nods. "Yeah, I'm Kendall. And what kind of things did he suggest to you?" well a friend of Magnes' is a friend of his, if that's how it works and all that fun stuff.
"Kendall!" Quinn repeats, a wide smile on her face. "Ah, um…" she looks around the store, blinking. "Magnes was tellin' me that I should look int' some comic called Scott Pilgrim? I know there's a movie comin' out, we're going t' see it this weekend, but he thinks I should read it." The Irishwoman shrugs, and as her eyes move around teh room, they lock on the cover of a Green Lantern trade paperback. "An' he thought I should read up on… I see Green Lantern, but he was tellin' me about Blue Lanterns or somethin'?"
"Right then." Kendall goes right over to where the Scott Pilgrim comics were located, grabbing the first one for Quinn. "And are you sure you want to jump in on when the other color Lanterns come into the picture, or would you like to get to know the Green Lanterns first?" he asks her. "Because we've got Darkest Night, and also Brightest Day if you want just those."
Quinn takes the first Scott Pilgrim readily, eyeing it - it looks nothing like what she's used to comics looking like. Also way thick. "Just the one?" she asks, without even really looking at the rack to see if there's more. At Kendall's question, she laughs nervously. "Ah, um… I have no idea what you're talking about," she admits, blinking. "What ever you think''s going t' be best. I don't, like… read comics ever."
"All right then, let's get you started off with Blackest Night then, since it's got a good introduction if you're not a big comic book reader." Kendall trots off to go claim some issues. "And how many of each do you want? The entire thing, or just the first few? Of either?"
"Blackest Night?" Quinn repeats with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds right depressing," she notes, following off after Kendall, digging into her messenger bag. "Um… I guess you can't return comics can you?" She quirks her lips, looking thoughtful for a moment. "How much is there, a' both of 'em?" She may have just put a fair share of money into her account, but she really doesn't want to spend it all on a gamble like comics. Besides, she has another big purchase to make today.
"There's six volumes that size of Scott Pilgrim." Kendall nods at the thick book in Quinn's arms. "As for Green Lantern, uh… guess it depends on how far back you want to go. Maybe we should start a bit further back so you know what's going on rather than jumping in."
Quinn blinks, looking down at the digest sized book in her hand. She flips it over and eyes the price tag, wincing. Cripes, over $70 for all six? She was going to have to think on that. On the other comics, she sighs. "I really have no idea…" She tips up on her toes, looking at the Blackest Night issues. "Jesus, this looks like a lotta shit goin' on. If you think I should pick somethin' else up first, I'm all for it."
"Well let's get you started on Green Lantern first before we bring in the rest of the rainbow." Kendall nods at Quinn. "Green Lantern: Rebirth is a good place to start. there's only six issues of it, so shouldn't be too expensive." Kendall knows all about the price of comic books bleeding a wallet dry.
"Rebirth sounds like a much better title," Quinn muses as she pulls through a collection of back issues, looking for these six issues of Green Lantern Rebirth, each of which are thankfully much cheaper than the Scott Pilgrim books. It's not hard to find all six, and they're in her arms moments later. A long sigh draws out of her mouth. "Might as well the rest a' Scott Pilgrim. Anythin' else I should get?"
Kendall hmms and goes about, grabbing bagged and boarded comics here and there, bringing her about four of them. "Here, start with these." he adds them to the pile, looking satisfied with himself.
Quinn looks at what she's handed, several Green Lantern trade paperbacks - and looking at the price of those causes her to wince to. "I, um… I think I'll just take two for now…" she comments, setting them down on top of the other back issues. "Christ, I'm spendin' close to $100… But! Whatever. It'll give me somethin' t' talk with Magnes about," she says cheerily, turning and heading back to where they had the other Scott Pilgrim volumes are kept, scooping them up.
"That's the spirit." Kendall replies cheerfully. Part of this is because he gets to ring up a huge sale! This should make his boss happy! He's being a good employee!
Quinn sighs, maneuvering her way to the counter and setting it all down. Eyes wander around, comics set to one side, the Doctor Who DVD set to the other. Cards, standees, t-shirts, all of this stuff is so foreign to Quinn, and even with someone she's met before helping her, she feels just remarkably out of place here at the moment.
You know, someone she's met before, but it occurs to her she's never even gotten to know. "You know, I can't even remember if I introduced m'self t' you!" She laughs, extending a hand over the counter to Kendall. "Robyn, if I never did."
"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Kendall." didn't he already say that? And doesn't he have a nametag on? Whatever. "Are you friends with Melissa too, or did you come to my party because Magnes was?" he shakes her hand, then starts ringing her up. Yay cash register that he knows how to use now! "You don't play any kind of games, do you?" he nods at the displays of dice and cards and figurines.
Quinn snickers, pointing at Kendall's nametag. "I think we went over that part already," she says with a giggle, and then she nods, pulling out a charge card. "I work for Melissa, actually. I'm the DJ at Tartarus. She's a good boss, an' a fun one too. Magnes an' I actually came entirely separate from each other!" If she remembers correctly. Which she may not. "How long've you been workin' here? Magnes never mentioned you before, an' I didn't see you when we stopped in briefly the other day…"
"Well I just got the job." Kendall admits. "I mean, I can't just mooch off of people my entire life, and this seemed like the best place a person like me could work. Except, uh, I have to keep from spending my paycheck here too."
Quinn laughs, shaking her head. "I know that problem all too well!" She leans forward against the counter, seeming having forgotten that she's in the middle of checking out, and might very well be holding up a line. "I work at a book store with a music section, an' that's bad enough. I'm sure if I worked at guitar centre or soemthin', I'd never have any money at all."
"You play guitar then?" pause. "Oh right, weren't you the one who didn't know what Guitar Hero was?" Kendall vaguely remembers that. "You were, uh… a little drunk too. I think."
Quinn blushes a bit at that. "I play… a lot, t' put it simply. Guitar, bass, violin, piano, an' some other things…" She trails off a bit, laughing nervously. "Y-yeah. I was. I dunno if Melissa knows, but some a' us ended up drunk enough t' climb onto the roof once people went t' bed… But it was fun! I don't really remember all a' it, I hope I didn't come on t' anyone…"
"Well, uh, you threatened to kiss me, I think." Kendall remembers spazzing out about it but kinda wanting it to happen, but it didn't. "And I don't know what happened after I went to bed, and I think I'd like it to stay that way." at that point, a man calls Kendall's name, and he looks over. "Ah, sorry, I've got to get back to work, can't spend the entire time talking. Stop by once in a while and I'll let you play my Guitar Hero some more. They've got a game called Rock Band too, which has more instruments. Drums, keyboard, guitar, and singing too." then off Kendall goes to see what his boss wants.
Quinn's blush runs deeper than before, the girl shaking her head. "Aaah, yeah. Trust me, that's not something you have t' worry about in the future, I don't make a habit a' kissin' guys." She gives a nod, snickering. "I know Rock Band. Magnes likes t' play it. But hey! I'll talk t' Melissa, sounds like it'd be fun." Hearing the man call her name, Quinn collects her purchases, the bags hanging on her arms. She's got other things to go buy. "I'm sure I'll be back with Magnes. I'll catch you then, Kendall. Bye!"